S1-147
Emperor Calus has spoken!
3:19 PM
11/05/3272
Planet Vez-2 - Suburban Cul-de-sac
Aran-Johnson residence
Music
Chibi-Robo: Plug Into Adventure - Broad Daylight
After checking up on Glitch Frisk and Alder 99-40, Michael headed home, only to receive a notification through his Ghost. "{Michael, we just got a message. It's from Spyglass. He's reported that a massive planet-eating Cabal ship has appeared in Nessus's orbit.}"
"Huh. We should get a team together and investigate."
"{Way ahead of you. I've sent a message to Samus, Dane, and the Exo brothers to rendezvous in Io's orbit. We should head there too.}"
"Got it."
3:24 PM
11/05/3272
Jupiter's moon, Io - Low orbit
Music
Destiny - The Great Unknown
Michael was up in Io's orbit, waiting for the others to arrive. Just as he was about to open a communication channel to ask what was going on, five ships jumped in. Michael then proceeded to join their channel. "Roll call. Is everyone here?"
"Samus Aran, ready and waiting."
"Dane Smithsonian, standing by."
"Mark-18, online."
"Hayden-10, good to go."
"Tanner-21, primed and pumped."
Everyone was present and accounted for, so a course was programmed, and the Fireteam jumped to Nessus.
Nessus, Unstable Centaur - Low orbit
Music
Titanfall - OST 03
In the Nessus orbit was an absolute MONSTER of a space vessel. "OK! THAT wasn't there before!" Michael was shocked at the shear size of this behemoth, and it was pulling in parts of the planet itself!
"Holy crap! That explains the logistical planning to 'eat the planet'." Mark-18 recollected correctly.
"Let's move." Samus ordered. It was no surprise that Samus Aran was second-in-command for Eagle-Eye 9-1, and consequentially, City Hawk 723.
In a matter of minutes, they landed.
3:37 PM
11/05/3272
The Leviathan
Embarkment
Music
none
A booming voice was heard echoing from an unknown source. "Prove yourself worthy and I will grant you the means to true power."
Traveling along a massive deck, the Fireteam encountered some of the Loyalist Cabal. They didn't show any sign of aggression.
After making their way to the top of the massive staircase just beyond the main deck, where more Loyalist Cabal were standing, City Hawk 723 entered a series of hallways that lead to the first trial.
The Leviathan
Castellum
Music
Destiny - Cabal Stomp
More Loyalists were in this area, but these Cabal attacked on sight, prompting a retaliation.
The Cabal were wiped out by the detonation of one of Mark-18's Warmind Cells, and the Exo brothers went out to search for any clues as to what the trial could mean.
Seeing a golden banner, Hayden-10 picked it up, then found a platform to put it. The banner was placed on the central platform, causing more Cabal to arrive and attack.
Mark-18 came back, holding another banner. He stuck it into the platform, then joined the defense.
Tanner-21 arrived, carrying the third and final banner. Before he could place it down, a Psion appeared with a shield around it which negated all incoming ballistics like a Dome Shield. Dane calmly walked into the dome, then blew the Psion's brains out with his EVA-8 Auto.
Oddly enough, the Psion was shielding some of the Cabal, and with the death of the Psions, the shields they were projecting were lost.
Eventually, a door opened, allowing further progression. The Fireteam proceeded inside.
The Leviathan
UNKNOWN
Music
none
There was a long room filled with a disgusting and solidified substance. Thankfully, the end of it was right ahead.
The Leviathan
Royal Pools
Looking over the area, Rocco came to a conclusion. "{I think we'll need to do a sort of switch out strategy here. Michael, Samus, and Dane will be on the left side, while the Exo brothers will be on the right.}"
Taking his Ghost's advice, Michael stood on one of the plates, gaining a sort of protection from the strangely hazardous liquid, and Samus stood upon the plate to his right, while Dane stayed in the middle, ready to switch out with Michael.
Golden chains started rising out of the pools.
Everything was going quietly until Gladiators with no armor crawled out of the pools. After eradicating the bather with his Spitfire in the face, Michael heard a Super Missile, the detonation and carnage of another Warmind Cell, and three Golden Gun shots.
Just then, he saw Dane inbound to the panel he was standing on. Michael went to the middle, refreshing the psionic protection, and swapping out with Samus. Along the way, he saw Tanner-21 swapping out with Hayden-10, who then switched with Mark-18.
After killing Cabal bathers and swapping out a couple more times, a strange sound was heard, and everyone went to the center. A few clusters of purple sensors were vulnerable, so the Fireteam stood on the center plate and unleashed hell.
By the time there was one cluster left, a Psion appeared on the plate, surrounding itself in a spherical shield, but the Psion received three throwing knives to the face. An astral projection of the recently killed Psion appeared, only to be destroyed by a charged burst of Samus's Plasma Beam.
Miraculously enough, all the clusters were destroyed by another Warmind Cell.
A nearby passage opened, revealing the third trial.
The Leviathan
Pleasure Gardens
Music
Destiny - The Taken
Once the Fireteam entered the area, they immediately noticed something. The Shadow was here, and his Echoes had just completed the trial. "Hi." Death greeted.
"What brings you here?" Dane asked.
"I got a message from Spyglass, so I decided to come and check this out." He lifted his head up, then spoke. "Welp, my Echoes just finished up here. Shall we move along?" An Ascendant rift tore itself open, allowing the Fireteam to advance a LOT further.
The Leviathan
UNKNOWN
Music
none
More of that solidified purple ooze on the ground, but there was one final door up ahead.
The Leviathan
Throne
A massive Cabal figure was sitting in a gigantic throne room.
SCANNING...
NEW ENTRIES
1: Emperor Calus
Upon seeing the Fireteam, he dropped his large drinking chalice in shock. "HOW DID YOU GET HERE SO FAST?!" Before an answer could be provided, Calus regained his composure. "Are you thirsty? Can I get you something to drink?"
His throat feeling a bit dry, Michael answered. "Got some water? No radiolaria. Just pure H2O."
A Loyalist Psion appeared, holding a smaller chalice. Inside the golden cup was the requested liquid. Michael took off his helmet and downed the drink in one go, then returned the chalice to the Psion, who began quivering at the sight of the Shadow. "Even my Loyalists are afraid of Death himself. I... can't say I blame them." Calus stated, looking upon the shivering Psion. The Cabal Emperor's forehead glowed with psionic energy, somehow causing the Shadow to disappear. "Now to see what he is capa- aaaaaaAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
Ascendant energy began breaking through Calus's forehead, and he exploded.
It was revealed that this was not the real Emperor Calus, but a robotic duplicate. It was still functional, and it spoke. "The Shadow. The power of Darkness in allegiance with the Light. One fighting for the other. Out of two sides, he has chosen wisely."
"Death, you OK?" Michael asked.
"Yeah, I just jumped into Calus's massive gaping maw of a mouth... in his psionic mindscape."
"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!" With that, the robot duplicate shut down.
Nearby, a section of the floor opened up. Everyone went down into the chamber below, but Michael stayed behind, seeing that the Psion was still there. After a while, Michael decided to go on down below with the others. He saw trillions of replacement robot duplicates of Emperor Calus, and there was a golden loot cache up ahead.
3:54 PM
11/05/3272
The Leviathan
Embarkment
Making their way out of the Leviathan, Michael felt an approaching presence. He turned around, seeing that the Psion had followed them.
"Rocco, Checkers set?"
"{This should be good.}" Rocco transmatted in two chairs, a table, a Checkers board, and all the pieces. Michael and the Psion sat down, and began the game.
After a few minutes, Michael had beaten the Psion 3-to-2. "You're good. I wouldn't mind another game some time." The Checkers set was transmatted out.
Michael and the Psion shook hands, and parted ways.
The Leviathan.
Well, the Shadow was in the Pleasure Gardens here, so what did you expect? He's pretty much like Soundwave from Transformers Prime, so he can open portals at will.
Checkers against a Psion. What if that was an actual mini-game? Playing Checkers against a master of telepathy, THAT'D be something.
See you next time. Cayde... We'll miss you... and your Ghost, Sundance. I'm sorry, you two...