Tormented

Crash Landing

That moment where you know you have the plotline and end all ready but then realize that there is going to be a lot more chapters than you expect. I seriously expected to get this book done in 20 chapters but looking at where I am now and how much more of the story I have planned out, I realize that it's not going to happen. Anyway, enjoy this new chapter guys C:

Edited: 6/10/2020

In all the years of his life, Oraxsis never imagined the day when he would lay his eyes upon the Great Machine. Back then, he would have thought it would need the destruction of the human City and his people reclaiming it through chaos and death, roaring of their victory. But right here, standing on the edge of what the Guardians call a Plaza while Axtris chittered excitedly as she leaned against the railing, it was just as good and possibly, even better.

"Your first time seeing the Traveler up close?"

Turning his four eyes towards the male Guardian, Oraxsis tilted his head curiously at the grin on the Titan's features, "Even I have to admit, even though I see it every day, I still get struck with awe." He watched the human turn his golden eyes towards the Great Machine and crossed his arms as he added, "And this display is nothing compared to the night. It literately lights up the sky."

Blinking as he saw the Titan's eyes glitter, the larger Eliksni simply grunted, "I am just content that I am able to see it, even once." He turned his eyes back towards the Great Machine, "Initially I had believed that I would never see our 'god' that my people kept preaching about." Hearing his daughter chitter followed by words of exasperation, Oraxsis turned his four eyes towards the female Eliksni, watching as she dangerously balanced on the railings, the female Guardian of their group yelling at her to get down; the Baron rumbled, "I did not even believe that Axtris will live long enough to see it."

"Well, now you're here." Oraxsis turned his eyes back towards the Guardian – Akiva, if he remembers correctly – just in time to see the human flash him another smile, "Despite the circumstances."

Letting out a soft rumble at the human Guardian's words, Oraxsis found himself asking, "I am curious, A-Aaaakiiivvvaa." He huffed at his struggle, "Why did you and your littermate decided to help us? Why are you not against us like the other Guardians here?"

Immediately, he saw bewilderment settle in the male human's eyes right before the latter turned towards the small fragment hovering above his shoulder, "Litter mate?"

Hearing the Guardian repeat the word back towards his Ghost, Oraxsis couldn't suppress the amusement building up with his chest, rumbling quietly as he heard the small fragment explain, "Your sister, Akiva. I believe littermate is a term used by the Eliksni to represent siblings, those who were born from the same parent at least."

Spotting a flash of understanding linger in the Guardian's eyes, Oraxsis waited as the former turned and gave him another grin, "What a silly question, it's because Angel trusts you and since he's our friend, my 'littermate' and I trust you as well."

Doubt formed in the back of Oraxsis' mind, "Is that the only reason?"

The smile faded from the human's pale features, the Baron watching as his face scrunched together in thought before it softened followed by a shrug, "Well, if you want an honest answer. I'm curious." Oraxsis blinked at his answer, "It's not every day an Eliksni walks up to your front door and asks for help."

"…We did not walk up to your front door." Oraxsis gave the Guardian a bewildered look, "We climbed up the walls and – "

"It's a metaphor, no need to take it seriously." The Baron once again gave the laughing human a confused stare; Akiva must have noticed for he then added, "Look, don't worry about it. My sister and I, we won't stab you in the back if that's what you think. We're not those kinds of people." Oraxsis couldn't help but mentally scoff; like he never heard those words before, "We trust you as much as we trust Angel, so if anyone comes up and tries to harm you guys, Aleeza and I will have your back."

Narrowing his four eyes at the Guardian, Oraxsis parted his mandibles to comment when a cry caught his attention. Turning his gaze back towards where he had last seen his daughter, the Baron couldn't help but let out a soft rumble. The female Vandal was standing on the rails, feinting falling which causes the female of the Guardian pair to let out another sharp cry, the worry clear in her crimson eyes.

"You need some help there, sis?"

Watching Akiva approach his littermate from the corner of his eyes, Oraxsis opted to remain silent as Axtris performed another feint, causing another shout of exasperation from the female Guardian. Then, finally, after flailing her arms one last time, Axtris expertly resumed stability and casually stepped down; Oraxsis laughed at the wide-eyed expression on the female Guardian's features.

"What – Were you intentionally trying to scare me!?"

A high pitched chitter can be heard from the Vandal, "It was amusing while it lasted."

This in turn prompted a laugh from Akiva, the Baron watched as the Titan actually placed his hands on his knees and commented, "I asked you if you wanted to keep an eye on Oraxsis but, you insisted on watching Axtris."

A huff can be heard from the female – Aleeza – before she placed her hands on her hips, "Oh yes, like a small Warlock like me can keep up with an Eliksni Baron."

Akiva immediately paused in his laughter, "Hey, I watched you take on Cabal three times his size! Shouldn't have been too difficult."

His littermate's jaw dropped, "That was out in the field! This is a wholly different situation!"

Chuckling at the two bickering Guardians, Oraxsis then paused as a red and white Fragment flashed over Aleeza's shoulders, their back fins spinning before they spoke, "Incoming Message: From Pluto."

That immediately gained everyone's attention, and Aleeza asked, "What does it say?"

The Fragment paused, their crimson optic flashing to signify their process before it answered, "They found Ixrsis' location."

Xxxxx

"I fear the Rebels have made an alliance with another power, my Captain. I believe it to be the Guardians. They have been getting closer and closer to our position every day."

"Your point?"

Olkar watched as his fellow Vandal dipped lower to the ground, their stature clearly submissive as the Captain glowered at them.

"I-I just believe we should move on. Find another position to carry out this execution in case the Rebels come and –"

It was then Olkar watched as the Captain unsheathed their blade and, before the Vandal could react, swung the weapon into the smaller Eliksni's chest, the armor giving little protection against it. Wincing as the Captain pulled the weapon out, Olkar then saw his fellow Vandal glance down, shock clear upon their features before lifting their eyes up at their superior, arms shaking as they reached up to the wound. Then slowly, the smaller Eliksni collapsed onto their knees and fell upon their side, the life in their eyes fading.

"Anyone else want to go against orders?"

Tuning in onto the snarl of the Captain, Olkar glanced away, listening to the other Eliksni present do the same. Feigning tinkering with the tools at his station, Olkar waited until he heard the footsteps of the larger Eliksni exit the room to even dare glancing around, and then silently rumbled as he saw no eyes upon him. Placing down his tools, the Vandal gave one last look around before finally quietly made his way towards the exit.

Stealthily making his way down a hall, Olkar purred silently when he spotted a vent, slowly making his way towards it until he was close enough to slide his claws underneath and pry the lid off. Waiting momentarily to ensure no one heard his actions, Olkar then placed the metal upon the floor before grasping the corners with his arms and prepared to propel himself in. That is when he heard a low rumble emit behind him.

Startled, Olkar twirled around, half-expecting to see the Captain who had earlier murdered the other Vandal, but his shoulders then sank in relief as he locked onto familiar glowing eyes; it was another Vandal, and one he knows personally. Although, this relief quickly turned to one of suspicion at the latter's curious expression.

"Going to 'visit' the Prisoner again?"

Olkar winced at the question; how long had he known?

Instead of immediately answering, Olkar let out a low snarl, an attempt to intimidate the other away; this only prompted the other to laugh.

"You're taking a risk giving Ether to a prisoner who is going to be executed in less than a day's time." Olkar barely suppressed the groan that nearly escaped his throat; how was he so observant? "especially since Ether is scarce."

Olkar simply huffed at his words, "I am using my own share. It is not like I am disobeying orders."

"Unless you call visiting a 'traitor' not disobeying orders."

Glaring at the Vandal, Olkar then snarled out, "Then why not turn me in, Vellak? Not only will you expose a 'traitor, you might get an extra ration of Ether for your 'honesty'."

A soft rumble emitted from the other Vandal, one that Olkar recognizes as a chuckle, "If you think I was here to expose you, I would have done it the first time I have seen you 'visit' the prisoner."

Eyes widening, Olkar recoiled away, as if harmed by Vellak's words before attempting to turn to make a run into the vents, "For me, it matters not what you do, as long as you do not get caught."

Freezing at his fellow Vandal's words, Olkar slowly turned back around as Vellak approached him, pausing just an arm's length away from him before lifting one of his upper arms. Puzzled, Olark glanced down only to pause when his eyes caught the familiar glowing edges of a glass canister, "Is this…"

Instead of receiving an answer, Olkar instead felt Vellak grab one of his upper arms and then placed the container in his hand, "I am only doing this because we are littermates, Olkar, not because I pity the Captain that you often visit." Lifting his four eyes towards Vellak, Olkar then felt his littermate's hands leave his, "Even though I believe her stories of a Guardian coming to her aid."

Olkar blinked, "You believe them?"

He watched Vellak blink back in surprise, "You do not?" A momentary pause, "And yet, you are helping her?"

Olkar shook his head, "I'm only doing this for the reason that I believe it is time to create peace between the Guardians and our people." A heavy sigh permeated from his mandibles, "I am tired of the fighting and constant need to scavenge for survival." The Vandal momentarily paused, apprehensive, "If we make an alliance with the Guardians, then we do not have to worry about scraping every last of Ether to survive." Olkar paused again, his chest tightening as he added, "We do not have to worry about watching helplessly as littermates suffocate."

Hearing his older littermate rumble, the Vandal jumped in attention, half-expecting his brother to reprimand him of his words. Instead, Olkar spotted a softness in Vellak's eyes followed by the latter crossing his upper arms, "I do believe that peace is attainable with a small number of Guardians," The Vandal blinked at his brother, "However, for a widespread alliance? That I do doubt will ever occur."

Olkar could not help but narrow his eyes, "What makes you believe that?"

Watching his littermate's luminescent eyes blink, Olkar waited patiently as Vellak lowered his arms, "Have I ever told you that I was saved by a Guardian?"

Immediately a wheeze permeated from the Vandal's mandibles, "When?"

"Several years ago." Vellak answered, his mandibles clicking thoughtfully as Olkar watched him raise one of his lower arms and pick unconsciously at one of his 'trophies' strapped around his waist, "There was a reason why I paused in my hunts for Guardians, Olkar."

Wincing at his littermate's words, the Vandal shoved many of his questions to the side and decided upon one, "Is that why you believe in Ixrsis' story then?" A nod of confirmation from his brother, "But then, why do you not believe widespread peace is possible?"

Instead of immediately receiving an answer, all Olkar gained was silence, prompting the Vandal to click his mandibles nervously as Vellak tilted his head, his eyes staring deeply into his. Finally, his littermate broke the silence, "During one of my patrols, a storm quickly overcame me and unable to make it back to base, I opted to find shelter." He then shook his head, "However, the snow was too dense, visibility low, and I quickly found myself lost. It did not take long until the cold took hold of me." The softness then returned to Vellak's eyes, his gaze almost nostalgic as he continued, "I eventually awakened to find myself in a cave, a cloak over my body, and a Guardian attempting to keep a small fire lit. He was cold, I could tell for the reason that he kept rubbing his arms, and his armor too thin to keep his body warm. But nonetheless, when he successfully lit his makeshift fire, he turned his attention towards me, as if pull me closer to the fire's edge. He then noticed that I was awake."

Olkar took in a breath, "What happened?"

"He immediately placed space between us." Vellak answered, "Pushed himself away until he was far from the fire's warmth and then motioned towards the fire. He was inviting me to warm myself first." A soft rumble can be heard from the older Vandal, "Although I am not sure how, the Guardian had basic knowledge of our tongue. I asked him to join me and after a moment's hesitation, he did so." Olkar then his brother let out a quiet chuckle, "Even though we were supposed to be enemies, the Guardian always ensured that I had water and food first, and even had an extra can of Ether to give me time to wait out the storm. And when the storm ended, I bowed in gratitude and made it my vow to never hunt another Guardian's life." Vellak grunted, "Of course unless they try to kill me first."

Nodding his head subtly in agreement to his brother's words, Olkar then asked, "So this Guardian indeed saved your life, but, that still does not answer my question."

No sooner had his words left his mandibles when a flash of disappointment and sadness lingered in Vellak's eyes, prompting the younger Eliksni to go silent as his brother explained, "I had wished to meet this Guardian again, to properly thank him for saving my life." Another shake of his head, "But despite my best attempts, I saw no sight of him, and I feared that the Darkness had taken his life. So, in an attempt to properly thank the Guardian, I tried contacting others."

It was then, Olkar took in a sharp breath, "You didn't…"

Despite the Ether mask obscuring much of his littermate's features, the Vandal saw the older Eliksni's eyes turn upwards and the sad glint lingering behind the glowing luminesce already gave Olkar his answer. And if that wasn't enough, Olkar snapped his eyes towards his brother's arms as he saw movement, saying nothing as Vellak reached to the straps of his bracers on his right arm and dug his fingers underneath the latches. Hearing the familiar click of the buckles coming undone, Olkar then couldn't suppress the snarl of grief and anger as his eyes immediately spotted blades marks and burns upon his brother's bare skin; the younger Eliksni didn't have to question 'where' his littermate had received them.

"As you can see, these attempts were not successful." Vellak continued as he pulled the bracer back over his bare arm, "In the end, after many attempts, I gave up on my search. The Guardians I came into contact with were more willing to fight than talk." A sigh then can be heard from the older Vandal, his shoulders deflating, "When I heard of Ixrsis preach of an alliance with the Guardians, I had thoughts of joining her rebellion, but then, the memories returned." Vellak's eyes narrowed as his glared down at his arms, as if seeing his scars through his bracers, "The memories of the Guardians that I had attempted peace with who attacked me when I was unarmed, even when I lowered myself to the ground, even when my hands were raised in surrender, the memories overcame me, and in the end, I decided against joining the Rebel cause." Sensing the bitterness emitting from his older littermate, Olkar once again opted to remain silent as Vellak continued, "There may be Guardians out there who are more than willing to make an alliance with us, but those who are against it, those who are more than willing to kill our people, their numbers easily over take them." A low growl can be heard from the older Eliskni, "Widespread peace is not possible."

"Does not mean we cannot try." Olkar barely comprehended his own muttering just as Vellak's eyes narrowed his way. Going rigid as he realized his words, Olkar moved himself into position, placing his hands against the wall in case he needed to propel himself away from a possible attack. Instead of violence however, Vellak released a low growl before the Vandal turned and left, causing Olkar to blink once, twice, and then once more before allowing himself to relax, heaving out a sigh of relief as he glanced around the room once more and then turned around to focus his attention back onto the vents. Shifting the cannister of Ether he was given into his lower arms, Olkar then used his upper to pull himself, pausing long enough to grab the vent from the floor and then shutting himself in. Turning around to make his way towards the cells, Olkar let out a grunt as he barely made his way through the vents.

This was one of the few moments where he missed being a Dreg, his smaller form making is easier for him to move around within, easily slipping past Vandals and Captains to enter Ether rooms where he would steal Ether to sustain his younger sick littermates. Olkar momentarily paused at the thought before continuing on his venture. Although he did his best, many of his littermate's passed, even with the aid of Vellak, mainly from suffocation from lack of Ether or being used as target practice by passing Guardians. Only one made it maturity, the latter of which only survived thanks to the kindness of Ixrsis. She had dragged the then Dreg female to safety after being unfortunate enough to be in close proximity of a Guardian's void grenade. Although she lost her legs, Ixrsis easily crafted replacements and thanks to this, allowed his younger littermate to reach the rank of Vandal. Now, she is part of the Rebels along with their sire, having escaped the House of Devils with several Servitors to enact their rebellion. Admittingly, Olkar would have joined as well if it were not for the fact that he had been out on patrol. He was threatened with death when he returned if he were to desert.

Grumbling at his own luck, Olkar's eyes lit up when he then sighted the familiar vent to the cells, using his upper arms to push said vent out and sliding quietly onto the floor, letting a smile form onto his leathery features.

"Olkar? That you, yes?"

Turning to the familiar voice, the Vandal turned around, his eyes sighting cell doors before scampering over, and holding out his hand to present the Ether Vellak gave him, "Here, this should help you regain your strength." He then reached down to his belt, pulling out another cannister and then quickly shoving both into her hands; he saw four glowing eyes narrow in the darkness of the cell.

"Did I not say not to come here? If they catch you-"

"They are not going to catch me," Olkar quickly retorted, pulling his arms back to ensure the female Captain would not reject his gift, "I am a stealth Vandal, remember? I can easily cloak and escape if it ever comes to that."

"Unless they shoot you first, no?" Shrugging at Ixrsis' words, Olkar just heard the female Eliksni huff before watching her lowering her lower limbs to the ether packs around her waist, using her upper to leverage the Ether cannisters given to her as she pressed a button. The familiar hiss of the empty cannister ejecting rang quietly through her cell before Ixrsis removed them and quickly slotting in the new ones. As she locked the Ether cans in place, Olkar glanced around before leaning in and whispering, "I am not just here to give you Ether."

This immediately caught the female Captain's attention, "What do you mean?"

Waving for the Captain to come closer, Olkar waited as Ixrsis placed the empty cannister's to the side and shuffled closer before he answered, "I had intended to speak with you about this days ago, but I feared on how you would react."

The narrowing of her eyes was enough to show Ixrsis' disapproval, "I am your friend, no? You do not trust me?"

"I trust, I trust." Olkar defended, earning himself a small snort from the Captain, "Just, be quiet, okay?"

Watching as Ixrsis raised a suspicious brow, the Vandal let his shoulders deflate in relief as she finally nodded, prompting Olkar to turn and reached his hands down to a bag tied around his belt, cupping what he was looking for in his palms and pulled them out, , "Ready?"

When the Captain nodded, Olkar took in a nervous breath before removing one of his hands and immediately, he heard Ixrsis let out a gasp.

"Hello."

Xxxxx

"So, you are telling me that, a long dead leader of a nearly extinct clan is still alive and is working with Rasputin?"

Angel sighed at Akiva's question but nodded, "And let's not forget to add one with a grudge against humanity." The Hunter didn't have to glance over to see the Titan wince, "So in all due respect, let's warn the Vanguard to leave Rasputin alone. Otherwise, they're going to find more bodies in the Cosmodrome." He then paused, contemplating, "Unless Pluto doesn't report to them first."

"Wait," It was Aleeza, "Does the Vanguard know about Sun's existence?" At her question, Angel found himself unable to answer and instead, turned and gave the Awoken female a blank stare, "I will take that as a no."

"Before we left, Pluto made us promise not to tell anyone, 'especially' the Vanguard." Angel muttered, rubbing the back of his neck as he added, "So if you guys can…"

"Lips sealed." Watching Akiva mimic zipping his lips with a quick movement of his hand, Angel gave the older Guardian a sheepish smile.

"Akiva? Aleeza? Angel? Care to join us?"

Turning his attention towards another part of the Hangar, Angel immediately spotted Pluto's form, the latter of which had his arms crossed as he motioned with his hand for them to join the others. Seeing that Ianos, Carina, and even the Eliksni pair were already grouped up with Pluto, Angel quickly took it as a sign to immediately answer Exo's summon, hearing the footsteps of the twins fall not too far behind him.

"Right," Seeing Akiva flash Pluto a cheesy smile, Angel simply watched as the Exo Hunter held out a hand, the familiar viridian form of Nix appearing into view as he added, "Before I split us up into teams, familiarize yourself with the layout. Despite our best attempts, we gained only a vague sense of where she is being held."

It was then Nix flashed out his light, the particles slowly converging over each other as it curved and condensed, taking only moments to take shape.

"Please tell me you're joking." It was Aleeza who spoke, "A Fallen Ketch?"

Pluto nodded, "We believe that thanks to her status as the leader of the rebels, that they put Ixrsis there to make it difficult to locate and free her." Angel then saw the Exo's features scrunch together, crossing his arms as he added, "Usually it would be best until they land however, from what we can gather, her execution is less than a day from now. It is best to strike now when we have a vague sense of where she is."

"Wouldn't be a problem, if it wasn't an aerial raid." Akiva muttered, rubbing the back of his neck as he turned his eyes towards the Exo Hunter, "Any chance we're going to have any backup?"

That is when Pluto's expression twisted, his lights glowing brightly between the cracks of his plating, "Normally yes, it would be beneficial for us have another group on standby in case things go awry, however…"

Unable to help but give Pluto a bewildered look as his voice faded, Angel then turned towards Ianos, the latter of which also crossed his arms, a sense of unease easily permeating from the Awoken.

Ianos must have felt all eyes turn towards him as he sighed, subtly shook his head and then explained, "Ixrsis might not be the only prisoner onboard the Ketch and with how long our people and the Eliksni have been at war, I highly doubt our 'backup' will be willing to be cautious when firing into the fray."

Wincing as understanding settled into Angel's mind, he then saw Pluto nod once, "If we want this group of Rebels to align with the Tower, we have to take everything into consideration. As such, it will be just the six of us raiding the Ketch."

No sooner had the words left Pluto's lips when Oraxsis suddenly took a step forward, a growl snapping from his throat, "We are coming too!"

Reeling from the Baron's words, Angel opened his mouth to retort, only to pause when the larger Eliksni turned and narrowed his eyes at him, "She is our leader, it is fair that Axtris and I accompany you."

"B-But," Angel sputtered, "You're a Baron, if anything happens to you-"

"Captain Ixrsis' life is more valuable than my own." Oraxsis' words caused him to go silent, "Without her, there would have been no rebellion. Without her, Axtris and I would not be here." He then emitted a low rumble, "Despite her rank, Captain Ixrsis holds more influence than I."

Concern and frustration started to build in Angel's chest and, not knowing what else to do, turned towards Pluto, "You're not going to let them come with us, are you?"

At first, hopeful at the lack of silence he received, Angel found it quickly shattered as the Hunter let out a thoughtful hum, "We need every help we can get." The blind Exo then tilted his head towards Angel, "I know you are worried for their safety however, if they volunteer, I cannot say no. Especially since they were the ones who requested our help."

"But-"

Angel paused as he felt a hand grip his shoulder, prompting the young Hunter to once again turn around, only for his eyes to lock onto Axtris' blue.

"Do not worry about us, Pure One." She chirped, her four eyes squinting together to signify her smile, "We did not survive this long for no reason." Axtris then propped her lower hands onto her waist and crossed her upper arms, holding her head high as she then added, "We are just as strong as any Guardian."

Unable to help but give the Vandal a doubtful look, Angel found himself unable to hold back his sigh of defeat, brushing his fingers through his dark strands before turning his attention back towards Pluto, "Any ideas on how to board it?"

Expecting an immediate answer, Angel felt his gut twist, just a bit, when all he received was silence, "You, do you have an idea?"

"Well, yes." The hesitation in Pluto's voice was not giving Angel confidence, "It's just…" He sighed, slightly leaning to the side as he said, "When my, 'friend', transferred us Ixrsis' location, they also sent us a code. A stealth code."

"S-They didn't mention a stealth code." Ianos was the one who spoke. Even with his helmet on, Angel can easily see the frown that the Awoken gave towards Pluto, "Unless, the reason being that the stealth code is untested?"

When Pluto once again said nothing, Ianos shook his head, "Of course it would be untested, what else should I expect from them?"

"And they sent a message saying, 'You're Welcome'."

Giving Pluto a raised brow as Angel heard him murmur under his breath, the younger Hunter simply heard him let out a short breath before he spoke, "It's a risk but so far, I do not know how else we are going to board." A brief pause, "Unless, any of you have better ideas."

That is when Akiva raised a hand, "What if we-"

"Flying full speed into the side of the Ketch is 'not' an option, Akiva." Even within the blind fold, it was easy to tell Pluto was giving the Titan a blank look, "Especially since it is equipped to take ships, such as ours, down."

In response to the Exo Hunter's words, Akiva easily let out a sheepish laugh. Pluto simply shook his head at this, "According to the message that my friend had sent, each of our ships will be encrypted with the stealth code. As for rides," The Hunter turned his blind optics towards the two Eliskni, "Oraxsis will be riding with me while Axtris will be riding with you, Angel."

Immediately, a rumble of protest can be heard from the larger Eliskni, prompted Pluto to turn his attention towards the Baron, "I understand your reluctance, however, we cannot fit both you 'and' Axtris onto Angel's ship." He held out his hand, signaling to Nix to glide hover and materialize into his palm, "The extra weight on Angel's ship will more than likely slow it down and I highly doubt the stealth code will last long enough for the three of you to make it to the Ketch in one piece," Angel couldn't help but gulp nervously at his words, "So please, for now, follow my directions."

Hearing Oraxsis let out a grunt, the Baron let out one final growl before finally, nodding once, "Fine."

Nodding back, Pluto then turned to the others, "The encryption will take a few moments, so gear up and be prepared. No doubt the Ketch will be heavily guarded. In order to cover more ground, we will be splitting into two teams, each with either Oraxsis or Axtris, as they are more familiar with the schematics." He then shifted his head subtly towards Ianos, "Ianos, Carina, Angel, the three of you will be teaming with Axtris while as Akiva, Aleeza and I will be with Oraxsis."

A grunt can be heard from Ianos in response to Pluto's set up. One of annoyance or agreement, Angel wasn't sure, but it didn't to stop the blind Exo as he continued, "If one team finds Ixrsis, immediately relay a message to the other team as quickly as possible. That way, we can meet at the bay of the Ketch and hopefully, escape from there."

"You make it sound so easy."

"With my experience, it won't be." Angel smiled nervously as Carina's face fell at Pluto's words, "Best case scenario, we rescue Ixrsis and everyone makes it out alive." He then walked away, a silent signal to best prepare for the oncoming raid. Despite this, Angel couldn't help but feel a little bit mischievous.

"Well, Carina." He commented, turning in time to see the female Exo turn her optics towards him, "You always said you wanted a challenge." Angel then gestured towards the schematics of the Ketch, "Well here you go."

He then laughed as she glowered at him.

Xxxxx

"The Guardians are lucky, able to flawlessly pick out weapons as they please."

Keeping his eyes forward, Oraxsis simply let out a quiet chuff as Axtris took a seat next to him on the stairs, "Spoiled is what they are."

Hearing his daughter laugh at his words, he then saw from the corner of his eyes the Vandal leaning forward, propping her elbows on her knees so that she can support her chin in her hands, "If I remember correctly, you always say they are powerful with their arsenal but without them, they are defenseless."

Opting to say nothing, Oraxsis continued to eye the Guardians, seeing them check over their weapons before transferring them back into their Ghosts and moving onto the next one. The Baron can count the different kind of weapons that the Eliksni have on two of his hands. For the Guardians, he gave up counting long ago.

"How often does the chance to disarm a Guardian occur, Lord Oraxsis?"

Pulled out of his thoughts, Oraxsis found himself turning his four eyes towards the female Vandal letting out a soft rumble at her words.

"Not often enough." Despite his best attempt, Oraxsis couldn't stop the bitterness that tinged his tone, and this was enough for Axtris to bow her head, chittering sadly and softly.

This prompted Oraxsis to look away, turning his attention back towards the Guardians. Searching amongst them, the Baron immediately spotted Pure One, the latter of which was conversing quietly with his Ghost, leaning against some crates. Judging from the way he was holding out weapons and his Ghost subtly shaking their head, there was no doubt that they were trying to find the right arsenal for the raid. Or at least, to help give them an advantage.

"Do you think Olkar and Vellak will join us when we save Lady Ixrsis?"

The question caused the Baron to jump in his seat, turning his attention once more back towards Axtris. He spotted a hopeful look in her gaze when he locked eyes with her, and Oraxsis could not help but feel the need to lie and say, yes. Unlike the rest of his spawn, Axtris held onto that thin string of hope that always seemed to be out of reach for the rest of their kind, and the brightness in her eyes always made Oraxsis fill with faith that there will be a better future for the Eliksni. However, he knows that keeping her out of the dark is not the best either.

"I am not certain." He admitted and Oraxsis couldn't help but feel a little guilty as her eyes fell, "Olkar perhaps, since he was on patrol when the rebellion initially started. Vellak however…"

The Baron found himself unable to finish the sentence as the memory of his mate's death surfaced. Followed by the anger, the grief that Vellak, the oldest of his surviving offspring, had made obvious upon learning of her fate. The Vandal had taken up the hobby of killing Guardians, taking their Ghost's shells as trophies and strapping them onto his body, flaunting his kills. Although he had ceased in his hunts recently, Oraxsis highly doubts that Vellak would easily join the rebellion.

"Oraxsis? Axtris? You ready to go?"

Snapping out of his thoughts, Oraxsis lifted his eyes until they locked onto Pure One's green, the human Hunter flashing the two a nervous smile.

Momentarily turning his attention towards Axtris, he let out a soft rumble when he spotted the female Vandal nod once.

"Ready as you are, Pure One." He responded.

Xxxxx

"Where did you find them?!"

Wincing at Ixrsis' shout of surprise, Olkar motioned with his lower hands for her to quiet down, "I found her wandering one day." Cupping his hands once more, he ignored the sound of indignation and glow of light peeking through the cracks in his grip, "Saved her when she was being attacked by the Dark Ones."

"And she has been with you since?" Olkar saw Ixrsis' eyes widen as he nodded, "Then how – Are you her Chosen?"

He couldn't help but blink at her question, "What? No!" The Vandal reeled back, "Remember my patrols? I let her out to search once I am alone." Olkar then peered down at his hands, releasing his grip so that the form of the Ghost in his palm looked up at him, "Although, I wish she was mine."

Hearing Ixrsis let out a sad but soft rumble at his words, she then held out a hand through the bars. The Ghost paused at this, her white optic blinking in hesitation before cautiously, she glided over and settled into the female Captain's palm. Ixrsis let out a pleased rumble in response, "Hello, fragment of the Great Machine. I am Captain Ixrsis, leader of the rebels."

"I have heard." The Ghost shifted her shell upwards, her long optic glowing softly, "Olkar told me a lot about you."

"Really?"

Going rigid as Ixrsis lifted her eyes towards him, Olkar couldn't help but blush as he bowed his head. Mumbling as he heard the female Captain chuckle at his reaction, Olkar forced himself to lift his eyes long enough to say, "Let us just release you from your cell."

Instantly, Ixrsis' giggling ceased, "What?"

Now it was Olkar's turn to let out a soft chuckle, his four eyes beaming at the Captain as he said, "Like I had said, I am not just here to give you Ether. We are getting you out of here."

As if to further extenuate his words, the Ghost hovered away from Ixrsis' palm before promptly turning around and moving towards the panel next to the cell. It didn't take long for the pair to see the familiar beams of light that signified her work.

A brief pause and then, "How? You know as well as I do that escaping the prison is the easiest part, yes? How are we going to escape the Ketch?"

Olkar snorted, "I am a stealth Vandal, Lady Ixrsis. I am fully capable of cloaking both of us." He rumbled softly, "We can easily grab a ship once we reach the Hangar."

Seeing the female Captain tilt her head in contemplation, Olkar then saw her turn her head towards the other cells, her four eyes narrowing, "Not without the others."

Olkar blinked, slowly turning and counting the occupants of each cell. It wasn't a small number.

"It won't be easy." He found himself saying, "It will be difficult to navigate the Ketch with that large of a group."

"I know." Olkar watched as Ixrsis turned her eyes back towards him, "However, I am not abandoning those who risked their lives for our kin." She let out a snarl, "You are not going to abandon them, no?"

Finding himself going quiet, Olkar examined Ixrsis' expression before finally, he let out a sigh of defeat, "I guess we will manage."

Hearing the female Captain let out a pleased rumble at his words, a sound of victory caused Olkar to look back at the Ghost, only to jump when Ixrsis' cell door slid open.

"Thank you." The Captain nodded towards the Ghost, "Are you capable of setting the rest of our kin free, Little Light?"

"Of course!" The Ghost chirped as she turned towards the other cells. She then briefly paused, "One more thing, do 'not' call me Little Light."

Xxxxx

"Axtris please, you are making it difficult to pilot my ship."

Hearing the female Vandal let out a low rumble of apology, Angel then felt her hands leave his shoulders. Letting out a breath of relief with the return of his personal space, the Hunter then tried to turn his focus back onto piloting his ship, only to once again feel the brush of ventilated air against the back of his neck. Brushing his fingers through his hair, Angel groaned before he turned around, "Axtris. Please."

"I'm sorry." The Vandal in question dipped her head and Angel heard her let out another apologetic rumble, "But this ship. I am curious."

"You can be curious later." Jumping as Plutos' voice suddenly entered the coms, Angel turned his focus back onto the controls of his ship just as the Exo continued, "Right now, we have to focus on getting to that Ketch."

"Which I have to reiterate, you are certain that cloak will work?" Ianos' voice echoed through the coms, "I do not want us to get shot out of the air and our Ghosts having to wait until our bodies land to resurrect us."

"Come on, have more confidence in Pluto," Akiva's laughter can be heard, "I'm sure that cloaking device that his friend gave him will work."

"It is untested." Pluto muttered, "although if it does work, I will send them a message of thanks."

That was when Carina's voice piped in, "And if it fails?"

"Then I am going to find them and kick their ass."

Chuckling nervously at Pluto's answer, Angel then went alert when Hope's voice jumped in, "Target in sight."

Glancing up through the window of his ship, Angel felt his heart leap to his throat when his eyes landed upon a massive ship. Shaped like a pointed arrow, the wings of Ketch easily dwarfed the squad's jumpships. Even at this distance, Angel can feel his ship tremble just from the sound of the black and white Ketch's engines.

"Focus." Hearing Hope whisper into his ear, Angel gulped breathing taking in a deep breath, and tightened his grip on the controls.

"Get ready."

Hearing Pluto's voice murmur through the coms, Angel recognized the signal and as such, shifted the controls and piloted his ship closer to the others. The instant they were in formation, a low hum resounded in Angel's ears, and despite knowing what was happening, still couldn't help but jump as his surroundings shimmered out of existence.

"I can't see you guys." Carina's voice whispered through, "Can you see me?"

Smiling nervously at his friend's words, Angel forced himself to relax, letting out a breath, "The device works." He then briefly paused, worry growing in his chest, "But for how long?"

Receiving only a short pause as an answer, Angel couldn't help but grow more agitated, especially when Pluto spoke, "On my mark, everyone boosts."

Seeing the distance between himself and the ketch shorten, Angel lifted one of his hands and curled it around the gear next to him. Not long after, he felt Axtris lean over and grip the back of his seat, a brief glance seeing that she was using all four of her arms to leverage herself. It was then the Hunter heard a sound that he was dreading; the sound of static echoing around him and the sight of his squad's ships flickering back into view. Angel immediately regretted glancing up only to see the familiar glow of the Ketch's turrets activating.

"Now!"

Although startled at the Exo's signal, Angel still snapped the gear forward, only to let out a sharp yelp as he felt himself slamming into the back of his seat. This was quickly followed by Axtris letting out a shriek and the sudden tightness of her grip on his seat quickly going absent. It didn't take Angel much to know what happened when a loud 'slam' echoed behind him followed by the female Vandal suddenly going silent. Worry for Axtris' safety was swiftly brushed to the side when his ship rumbled from the missed shots of the Ketch, the Hunter scrambling for the controls. That is when a sound of an explosion resounded nearby.

"I've been hit!" It was Ianos' voice, the Awoken cursing through the coms.

This was quickly followed by Pluto's and an order, "Everyone! Close in! Try to keep Ianos' stable!"

"We can't turn into their hangar like this!" Aleeza's voice shouted through the coms followed by her yelping, Angel glancing over to the side just in time to lock her wing onto Ianos. Following her actions and watching the others surrounding the Warlock's damaged ship, Angel couldn't help but stare at the coms, waiting nervously for an answer.

"Everyone, put up your shields," Pluto's voice finally broke the silence, "We are going to ram this thing."

"You are shitting me!" Ianos growled through the coms followed by a laugh that Angel recognized as Akiva's.

"This is going to be great!"

"I will take point!" Pluto ordered over Akiva's hollering, "Carina! Angel! Behind me! Aleeza! Akiva! Keep Ianos supported in the rear!"

Navigating his ship obediently behind the Exo's Angel couldn't help but blurt out, "Isn't this dangerous?"

"It isn't dangerous if you have a chance to survive it, kid!"

"That isn't helping Akiva!"

Normally finding Aleeza's exasperation over her twin's lack of self-preservation amusing, Angel instead gulped as Hope counted, "Contact in ten seconds!"

"We better survive this!" Carina yelled.

"Our Ghosts will revive us." A brief pause by Aleeza, "Hopefully."

Angel tried to keep his hands steady.

"Five seconds!"

"This is not what I mean when I said I wanted to go on an adventure!"

"Three seconds!"

"Welcome to Guardian life! Now brace for fucking impact!"

Clenching his teeth at Ianos' words, Angel watched as Pluto's ship rammed into the Ketch first, the black ship instantly breaking through the white surface followed by loud shrieking of scraping metal. Before he could even wince at the noise, Angel then felt his ship rumble, jerking him around in his seat before coming to a sudden halt. With the momentum, Angel then found himself flying forward, unable to let out even a startled shout before pain rang through his head and body. Then, darkness.