S1-182
Exodus assault
2:58 PM
11/17/3273
Planet Vez-2 - Low orbit
Music
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption - Gunship Theme
While waiting for another mission to come up, Michael was sitting in his personal shuttle, biding his time. Rocco was constantly refreshing the Pilot's schedule, but no matter how many times he reloaded the manifest, the Ghost still saw nothing.
Michael reached toward the cup holder to his left, grabbing a semi-transparent bottle that was filled with water, and took a drink. He found the bottle in what was left of Ohio on Earth during an earlier patrol, and from what was left of the large sticker on one side, Michael could tell that it was purchased a looooong time ago from an amusement park called Kings Island, back in 2019, around 250 years before the Pilot was even born. He cleaned it out thoroughly, deciding to reuse it, and here it was, filled with water and ice cubes.
"{Refresh #183: Nothing. Refresh #184: Nothing. Refresh #185: Whoop-de-do, we got nothing. Refresh #186: I see nothing. Refresh #187: One great big stinking hunk of nothing.}"
"Heh. Really, Rocco? 'One great big stinking hunk of nothing.'? Have you been watching Treasure Planet without me?"
"{No?}" Michael kept eyeing the Ghost. "{Maybe?}" He raised an eyebrow at his Ghost. "{OK, fine! I was watching Treasure Planet with Glitch Frisk while you were at Phoenix Central yesterday!}"
"That's all I needed to hear."
Without warning, the entire cockpit went dark, followed by a hologram appearing right above the controls. A hologram... of Aurora Unit 242.
Music
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes - Aether Mission Briefing
"Michael W Johnson of Eagle-Eye 9-1, we have a mission for you."
"About time."
"The IMC salvage team deployed on Nessus to recover Failsafe and the remnants of the Exodus Black has come under attack."
"I'm pretty sure we can handle the Fallen."
"It is not the Fallen."
"OK, the Vex might be a bit trickier."
"It is not the Vex."
"The Cabal."
"Correct. Intercepted Red Legion communications indicate that the Cabal are attempting to destroy the Exodus Black. Rendezvous with the IMS Colossus in orbit around Nessus, and prepare to drop. Good luck, Pilot." With that, the hologram vanished, immediately followed by the controls flickering to life.
3:21 PM
11/17/3273
Nessus, Unstable Centaur - IMS Colossus
Drop Pod launch bay
Music
Titanfall - OST 29
Once Michael had docked with the IMS Colossus, he joined the Pilots and Guardian-Pilots who were gearing up and getting ready. The array of Drop Pods had been reloaded after its previous use against the Scorn in the Tangled Shore.
Michael rushed into a Pod, strapping in with Blisk, Cayde, and Ada-1. Unlike Michael and Blisk, Cayde and Ada-1 had never deployed into battle this way.
Buckled in across from Michael was Cayde, who appeared to be on the verge of freaking out, and was seemingly hyperventilating as the Drop Pod spiraled down to be launched. The IMC ace nodded at the Exo in an attempt to reassure him. It didn't work.
"Anvil 1 is a go."
"Anvil 2 standing by."
"Anvil 3 is good to go."
"Anvil 4 is a go."
"I hate this part!"
"Cut the chatter! Initiating drop sequence!"
The Drop Pods were launched straight into the sector just outside the area around the Exodus Black. "Separation confirmed."
Cayde was holding onto his harness for dear life.
Michael could see the Leviathan of Emperor Calus in the distance through the window.
"Stand by. Approaching shock layer." The Drop Pod shook intensely, breaking orbit.
Nessus, Unstable Centaur - Arcadian Valley
Glade of Echoes
"Impact in 3... 2... 1... mark." The Drop Pod landed, its hatch opening.
Cayde was falling behind, still hyperventilating. He wasn't ready for a drop through the atmosphere.
Music
Destiny - Cabal Stomp
There were Cabal everywhere, and by the looks of it, they broke out the heavy artillery. Interceptors, Centurions, Colossi, Goliaths, and even Harvestors bombarded the perimeter. Clearly, Nessus wasn't anywhere near half as defended as the Frontier.
Once Cayde snapped out of his trance, he rejoined the others in repelling the Cabal.
Failsafe got on the line. "The Red Legion are attacking my defensive shield! Please stop them!-(▀▖┗▛▄)-My shield can't block them out forever!"
"Don't worry, Failsafe! Cayde, cover the Exodus Black's entrance!" Michael ordered.
"Heading to you, Failsafe!"
"ACE, accompany him!"
"[Cayde, look out!]" ACE-2172 got in the way of a Goliath blast, but couldn't deploy a Particle Wall fast enough, so his hull took damage. Sundance transmatted in a Pilot Sentry, then took control of it in order to help Cayde and ACE-2172 hold off the Cabal.
A Skiff appeared out of nowhere, adorned with House of Judgment colors, and there was a Walker hanging on the underside. The Eliksni came to help. The Judgment Walker released a few Shanks to help deal with the Red Legion infantry, then targeted a Goliath, taking out one of its jets with a tank blast.
Out of the Skiff came Variks, wielding a Scorch Cannon. He fired a shot straight at a Centurion, breaking the Solar shield, and disorienting the Centurion, leaving it open to a precision kill by Michael's Northstar-class Titan, ZJ-7349.
Samus was launching Seeker Missile after Seeker Missile, having to use Concentration a few times to replenish her Missile count back up to 80, while Arc-Rod was having some tough luck against another Red Legion Goliath.
By the looks of it, Osiris and Ana Bray were there too, using their Garden Progeny 1 and Polaris Lance respectively.
"So. You live in the Infinite Forest, huh?"
"Yes. I assume you were digging around Mars for a 'Clovis Bray'."
"Well, it's family business."
Osiris chuckled. "Of course. After all, you are a Bray."
Just then, PYR-8638 slammed the ground with both fists, unleashing a Flame Core, incinerating a massive amount of the Cabal with a large wave of thermite.
Music
Pacific Rim - Main Theme
Michael looked at what his Scorch-class Titan just did. "PYR just cleared out a whole line of Cabal with the... Flame Core..." He then had an idea. "All IMC Titans on the ground, activate your Cores!" All around him, the Titans activated their Core abilities. Laser Cores, Flame Cores, Flight Cores, Sword Cores, Salvo Cores, Smart Cores, and Burst Cores purged the sector. The Red Legion were clearly unprepared for Titan Cores.
Up in orbit, the IMS Colossus was firing upon the Cabal warship above the atmosphere. The Red Legion were losing... again.
Without warning, a ton of new enemy contacts popped up on the radar.
Music
Destiny 2 - Resist the Legion
Failsafe was once more on the comms. "Red Legion reinforcements are inbound!-(▀▖┗▛▄)-I don't like the looks of this."
A Cabal Harvester flew in, but there was something attached to it.
Michael was confused. "What the..."
The strange machine looked humanoid, and it appeared to vaguely resemble the Titans. Michael's helmet got an ID.
SCANNING...
NEW ENTRIES
1: Devastator
"IMC command, this is Michael W Johnson! We have a new priority threat! The Red Legion have created their own Titans!"
By the Traveler... Titans created by the Red Legion?! They look like this. (docs google com/drawings/d/1vTU6MU97CapIoOFcIZ_O62OCXg6vbJv0CZPPoLG0irg/edit?usp=sharing)
See you next time, and we're taking these Red Legion Devastators down!