S1-141
Invitation from the Emperor
10:37 PM
09/09/3272
With the Aurora Units working on deciphering the ancient notes from that experiment chamber on Troy, Michael received some intel from Cayde-6 about suspicious Cabal activity on Nessus. But he needed to get Mark-18 for this mission.
Oddly enough, Mark-18 was nowhere to be found... until Michael saw reports of a new area in the European Dead Zone. He just had to see for himself.
Planet Earth - European Dead Zone
The Sludge
Music
Destiny 2 - EDZ
Upon touchdown, Michael saw what looked like a hatch in the ground just ahead. It was opened up, revealing a flight of stairs leading underground. "Rocco, any idea what this place is?"
"{No clue.}"
The corridor at the bottom of the stairs looked overgrown, with moss on the walls. Michael eventually reached a new room at the end of the hall.
Planet Earth - European Dead Zone
Seraph Bunker: EDZ
Music
none
"What in the name of..."
It was then that Rocco appeared. "{I'm detecting an IMC Pilot locator signal. ID is Mark-18.}"
"He's here?" Michael wondered, sliding down the slanted shaft in the room.
Once he landed in the room below, Michael saw a large module further inside, with a bunch of screens on it. "{I have the distinct feeling this has something to do with Rasputin.}"
Before Michael could reply to that, he saw someone go through an automatic hatch behind the multi-screened construct. Michael went in to see what was going on.
The voice of Rasputin could be heard in the room. "Отсканируйте свой значок на центральной консоли."
"This old thing?" Mark-18 was heard.
"Да."
Michael watched as Mark-18 held a strange badge above a holographic scanner on the console in the center of the chamber. "So... what now?"
"Знак узнавания Серафима." The entire chamber lit up as Rasputin's voice boomed. "Марк-17. Вождь семи серафимов."
Michael whispered to his Ghost. "Any idea what he said?"
"{Apparently, Mark was the leader of these 'Seven Seraphs'.}"
Before another word could be spoken, a module in the floor behind Mark-18 crackled to life with the energy of Rasputin's Javelin. "Перезагрузка подтверждена. Вы восстановлены как Марк-18." The Exo in the room turned to face the energy. "Пожалуйста, войдите в энергию Серафима хорошо."
Mark-18 stood in the middle of the red energy. "What's supposed to happen now?" The only response he got was a surge of energy through his circuits, charging him with Rasputin's power.
"Ваш арсенал готов." A hidden container emerged from a wall, prompting Mark-18 to take a closer look. The container opened, revealing weapons and armor. "Ваше судно отправлено к вам для получения."
Mark-18 was astounded. He had a history with the Warmind. "This is incredible...! I'm one of your Seraphs? Your peacekeeping officers?"
"Утвердительный." The energy well from earlier sparked back to life. "Ваш дрон необходимо модифицировать, чтобы помочь вам."
Mark-18 sent out Mindsight, allowing the Ghost to float over the energy. It swirled into the air to surround Mindsight, then flow into him. His shell exploded, leaving his core, surging with Rasputin's energy. Somewhere else in the chamber, another machine sparked to life. Mindsight knew what to do.
Music
Destiny 2 - Nemesis X
Floating to the machine, Mindsight kept himself still as a new shell was printed onto him.
The new armor vanished, reappearing in the place of Mark-18's Pilot armor suit. They were ready for combat. "Постановка на охрану завершена. Вперед, рука Распутина." Mark-18 turned to the stairs to depart, followed by Michael quickly sneaking out to get back to his ship. Perhaps that Exo would join him in Nessus's orbit.
10:42 PM
09/09/3272
Nessus, Unstable Centaur - Arcadian Valley
The Cistern
Music
Destiny 2 - Nessus
Touching down on Nessus, Michael regrouped with Samus and the Shadow. Not too long after, a burst of Seraph energy shot out of a new ship as it passed by, leaving Mark-18 on the ground.
SCANNING...
NEW ENTRIES
1: Mark-18
Hand of Rasputin
Cayde-6 was on the line. "Hey, you four. My scouts picked up a weird Cabal signal from a ship that's definitely not Red Legion. Some new guy giving orders. He's got the Red Legion running around like errand boys on Nessus. Last time the Cabal had a management shakeup, they burned down our house. Let's see what they're up to. Bring guns."
"Well, we always have at least three." Michael remarked. He was right about that.
On the way to a new sector, Michael noticed something different about the Shadow; he seemed to have Taken armor.
Nessus, Unstable Centaur - Arcadian Valley
Well of Flame
Down they went, going through a Vex teleportation pad, and arriving in a different room.
Michael took point. "Look at all those Cabal."
"Uh... Death, what're you doing to that radiolarian fluid?"
The Shadow looked down, seeing that the white liquid appeared to be turning a dead black around his feet. "OK, that's new. I never stood in radiolarian fluid before."
Everyone jumped down, weapons at the ready. As they fought off the Cabal, Michael noticed one Legionary release a strange orb of seemingly compacted Seraph energy upon death. Mark-18 unloaded a few rounds into the orb, causing it to burst, somehow purging the entire chamber of Cabal. "All clear."
With the area clear, Rocco appeared and interfaced with a Cabal machine that was tapped into a Vex conflux. "{The Legion is pulling schematics of Nessus itself from the confluxes. Atmospheric, geologic, and tectonic data, they want it all. I'm not sure why.}" He then flew to a second terminal and pulled the data. "{OK, this might explain it. Let's see... The Legion is helping their unnamed leader identify mineral-rich deposits on Nessus for... consumption? Well, that can't be right.}"
"That is... really weird." Michael remarked as Rocco scanned the third console.
"{OK, I'm going to read this and you pretend like I understand. The Cabal want to grind Nessus into 'glorious dust, fit for royalty'. It's more environmental data. Just some logistical planning so they can prime their ship to... 'eat the planet'. This new Cabal leader might have a few screws loose.}"
Using a nearby teleportation pad, the group returned outside.
Nessus, Unstable Centaur - Arcadian Valley
The Cistern
"{Transmitting now. Cayde, I'm picking up a planet-wide broadcast. 'Red Legion 7th company has failed to secure Vex data. Their invitation to join the Loyalist regime is hereby rescinded.'. There's more. 'The rest of you still have a chance to prove yourselves. I offer you a life of...' opulence?}"
"Opulence?"
It was then that Aurora Unit 242 got on the line. "Opulence: great wealth or luxuriousness."
"Oh, I could go for some opulence right now." Cayde-6 was... daydreaming.
Up ahead, a few Cabal ships were dropping in crews of Red Legion.
Just then, the ships were destroyed.
Music
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption - Title Theme
They looked up, seeing the Shadow's ship, the Waning Star. "Well, my ride's here. And it's armed."
Two Vex confluxes appeared, and Rocco established a link. "{I'm in. This gets weirder. They've analyzed the planetoid soil and what might happen if it's combined with something called 'Royal Nectar'. One more cluster.}" He gained access to the other conflux, pulling even more data. "{Great work. Both confluxes linked. Just keep them away while I... read this recipe for converting Nessus soil into a purified 'Royal Wine'? What are the Cabal doing?!}"
"Sounds to me like they want to DRINK the planet." Samus stated.
Music
Destiny 2 - Nessus
With the Cabal getting their backsides handed to them by the group that opposed them, Rocco managed to pull everything. "{I grabbed everything I could, and shut down the confluxes. The Red Legion won't get any of the data this new leader wanted them to secure.}"
"They're gonna be so mad! I love it!"
"{Serves them right. Let's get this to the Counsel before I have to defrag. The Legion wanted every byte of data the Vex have on Nessus.}" Heading back to the Guardian landing zone in the Cistern, they transmitted the data. "{'All I ask is that you return to my loving embrace.'. Ew. 'Emperor Calus has spoken.'.}"
"Whoa. Wait. Emperor? As in Cabal Emperor? OK, opulence later, Ikora now. Ikora! Uh... Great job today, guys!" Cayde-6 seemed... uneasy.
"{Boy, he left in a hurry. I wonder what that was about.}"
Michael shrugged. "No idea." He then turned to the Hand of Rasputin. "What were those strange orbs, Mark?"
"Warmind Cells. Each kill with my new weapons has a chance to generate one. With the components in my armor, I have to be the one to destroy the Cells. If any of you destroy a Warmind Cell, it'll have no effect, and it'll go to waste."
Samus nodded. "I see. Leave the Warmind Cells to a Seraph and it'll actually do something."
If you seek the means to live to your potential, I can guide you to it.
There is power in this universe beyond your feeble Light.
I leave you with those words and these parting gifts.
TAKE THEM, AND GROW FAT FROM STRENGTH!
Emperor Calus has spoken!
Mark-18, Hand of Rasputin
Species
Exo
Gender
Male
Class
Warlock
Kinetic weapon
Auto Rifle - Seventh Seraph Carbine (Silver Tactical)
Energy weapon
Sidearm - Seventh Seraph SI-2 (Silver Tactical)
Power weapon
Machine Gun - Seventh Seraph SAW (Silver Tactical)
Helmet
Seventh Seraph Hood (Default Shader) (Valkyrian Hood)
Gauntlets
Seventh Seraph Gloves (Default Shader) (Valkyrian Gloves)
Chest armor
Seventh Seraph Robes (Default Shader) (Valkyrian Robes)
Leg armor
Seventh Seraph Boots (Default Shader) (Valkyrian Boots)
Class item - Warlock Bond
Seventh Seraph Bond (Default Shader) (Valkyrian Bond)
Ghost shell
Hardlink Shell (Default Shader) (Rasputin Projection)
Sparrow
Seventh Seraph Vector (Default Shader)
Ship
Tatarstan (Default Shader) (Big Red Entrance)
I just couldn't stop without putting that Nessus adventure up!
The Shadow has the Destiny 1 Desolate Warlock armor set, the Waning Star ship, and the Touch of Malice. Quite a 'Taken' arsenal, am I right?
See you next time.