A/N: (Edited as of 27.08.19) Hello, fellow Guardians!

Welcome to the unofficial fan novel of Destiny. This is either going to be the full series, or it will continue until it's unfeasible for me to do so i.e: when real life becomes so prevalent that I disappear off the face of the Earth forever. Anyway, leave a review if you want to, follow if you want to, but please enjoy your time here.

DISCLAIMER: The following is a non-profit fanfiction. Destiny is owned by Bungie and Activision. I only own OCs. Please support the official release.

Guardian Rising: Kayla Ashcroft, a young woman out of time, awakens in a strange, ruined world with only a small AI as her guide. Discovering the fate of humanity and their god she joins the Vanguard of the Last City to defeat the vicious forces that want to ensure humanity's extinction. Guided by a mysterious stranger, she uncovers a plot from an equally mysterious race of machines to alter the fabric of reality itself.

Saga 01: Guardian Rising

Arc 01: Devils and Kings

Chapter 001: Eyes Up, Guardian

We met it on Mars. In an age of great conflict, a deep space satellite discovered something...new. Unsure of this new presence on the red planet, old governments joined forces and sent a spacecraft up into the unknown.

And what they saw shocked us all.

The sphere was producing the first rains Mars had seen in hundreds of millions of years, terraforming the red planet. As the world watched the live feed of this strange machine in awe we waited and wondered.

We called it 'the Traveller'. It taught us many things. New sciences, new ideas, new philosophies. It ushered humanity into a new Golden Age, a Golden Age of Miracles. Scholars studied in the jungles of Venus, while technology had moved to Mars. Mercury became a garden world and our own Moon became a port for our new empire throughout the Solar System. Human lifespan tripled. And when the Traveller saw that it was good, it left without a word. We were ready. Ready to take our place in the Universe.

And then it came. Howling from the farthest reaches of the dark abyss beyond our empire.

The Traveller had an enemy. One as ancient and as powerful as our guiding light that had hunted the Traveller for eons: a force known only as the Darkness. Without warning the Darkness tore through our new empire, laying waste to the colonies in the Jovian moons, obliterating Freehold and razing the universities of the Ishtar Sink. It rampaged through our homeworld, undoing centuries worth of progress in a matter of hours. And when it looked like all was lost, the Traveller returned. It gave its life to push back the Darkness and save us.

The Darkness was pushed back, but not defeated. It lingered in the edges of our former empire, beyond the Reef, weakened but not destroyed. With its last breath the Traveller created the Ghosts to hunt down anyone that could harness the Traveller's Light: the Guardians of humanity were born. And now the Traveller, our once mighty saviour, lays dormant above Earth. We built a city around the Traveller, a last bastion of hope against the horrors of the Darkness.

And we wait.

The next four centuries saw the rise and fall of a thousand kings. All the while the Guardians grew and grew in number, defending the Light wherever they could.

The Traveller had saved humanity four hundred years ago. Now it is down to us to return the favour.

Old Russia, Cosmodrome

It was quiet along the rusted wastes of the Old Russian cosmodrome. All that could be heard was the quiet lapping of the waves along the shore and the faint cries of birds. It was a new day for the House of Devils and one spent doing what they do best: scavenging. While the Dregs of the House picked clean several cars that had been long abandoned, the overseeing Captain, Rahn, gazed out at the rising sun. It had been centuries since the Whirlwind tore through their homeworld. It was well known that the current Fallen had never seen the sunrise of their home: it was a story that gave hope to the Dregs and Vandals and dream that the Captains and Archons doubted would happen.

But maybe their luck was about to change. Centuries of space travel across the galaxy in search of the Great Machine had led them to a small blue world locally known as Earth. Among the many species on this strange planet was a weird, bipedal, warm-blooded species that referred to themselves as 'humans'.

They too had suffered the affects of the Whirlwind. But something else had happened. One that enraged the Fallen greatly. Hovering above a giant, towering metropolis was the Great Machine. It had intervened and saved these funny-looking humans, something it had not done for the Fallen. Now the Fallen had invaded the Sol System, taking up outposts on the planets still beyond the Whirlwind's reach. The House of Devils and the House of Kings lay claim to Earth and were now preparing to assault those bastard humans and their City.

As Rahn looked out over the wastes, still wondering why the Great Machine had saved these creatures, he spied a small white machine scanning the cars. He didn't know what the machine was called, but he knew what normally followed. Rahn gave mighty roar to his troops, pointing at the small white machine. He growled an order, causing the Dregs to cheer in pride as they moved out to find the machine.

The machine, Ghost, was searching for a small speck of light. Any light. Ghost, like all of his kind, were created by the Traveller with its dying breath. However, unlike the others, Ghost had spent seven hundred long years searching for his Guardian, scanning every possible ruin for them. His search for Light had brought him to the old Cosmodrome, deep in the heart of Fallen territory and very dangerous due to the two Houses that had claimed it. Even if he could avoid the Devils, the Kings were entirely different matter.

As Ghost scanned the old car wrecks he found something, hidden in one of mangles of the wrecks. On old skeleton, female, but with...

"Is it possible...?" he asked himself with a glimmer of joy. Ghost opened his shell, giving out a deeper scan. "There you are."

Ghost bathed the old corpse in Light, bringing back her spirit. As the Light circled around, reconstructing her body, Ghost watched in excitement. The woman, a human Warlock, landed on the ground, stumbling on her feet like an child taking its first steps. She held her head in her hand, her messy jet black hair glinting in the sun.

"What...?" she asked slowly, blinking in the dawning sun.

"Guardian?" Ghost asked. "Guardian? Eyes up, Guardian."

The woman looked at Ghost, jumping back in surprise.

"It worked. You're alive!" Ghost cried, pleased with himself. "What's your name?"

"Kayla," the woman replied, looking at Ghost closely, inspecting him. "I didn't know the Russians had made little...things. What are you? A tour guide? So, where's the...oh, my..."

Kayla looked up at the giant rusted walls, looking around at the mangled wrecks surrounding her. She gasped, putting her hand to her mouth. "W-what happened? I...I don't...where's my family? We were...we were going to Venus and...and...I...I...oh, god those things...those zombie things they...they did this, where are...where am I...I...I can't...can't remember..."

Ghost watched his new partner look around the wrecks for her family. He watched, confused. Guardians were created from the dead, so he knew they would have some leftover memories of their former lives, but he had never heard of one so severe. As Kayla searched the wrecks for answers it hit him.

Kayla was a human alive before the collapse. And, judging from the flashbacks she was experiencing, she died the day the Darkness attacked humanity. She didn't know of any of the seven centuries that followed. Of the horror that followed.

Ghost floated to the panicking woman as she scoured the wrecks.

"Kayla...that's a nice name," he said. "I know this a lot to take in...just...breathe slowly."

Kayla looked at Ghost, slowing her breathing. When she was calm she took a deep breath. "What are you? What...what happened?"

"I'm a Ghost," Ghost replied. "Well...actually, now I'm your Ghost. And you...you've been dead a long time." Kayla's eyes widened in shock, her mouth open to say something, only nothing came out. Ghost quickly floated to her face. "So you're going to see a lot of things you're not going to understand. I can't answer all your questions, and now is not the time to do it. I can find people that can answer your questions when we get to the City, but for now I just need you to do as I say. Can you please do that for me?"

Kayla looked at Ghost, stunned. Ghost paused. "I am so sorry for speaking like that, it's just-"

"What do you me to do?" Kayla asked.

Suddenly a shriek pierced the air, making Kayla jump.

"This is Fallen territory," Ghost warned, looking around. "I have to get you to the City, hold still."

Kayla watched as Ghost changed into a small white light and disappeared inside Kayla's body. Kayla looked around. "Are you...?"

"Don't worry, I'm still with you. We need to move. Fast."

The Fallen roared once more prompting Kayla to make a mad dash towards the wall of the Cosmodrome.

"Please tell me you know what you're doing?" Kayla asked Ghost.

"Oh, yes," Ghost replied.

"Are you lying?"

"Oh, yes."

"Wonderful."

Kayla rounded the old rusted door, slamming it shut. She grabbed an old metal bar and jammed it under the handle. Not wasting time to see if these 'Fallen' were able to get through the door, Kayla pushed deeper into the wall of the cosmodrome.

"So what's the plan?" Kayla asked, her heart racing.

"We need to find you a weapon," Ghost replied. "Do you know how a gun works?"

"It's just point and shoot, right?" Kayla chuckled.

Ghost chuckled as well. "I think we're going to get along great."

Kayla made her way through the old facility. Multiple questions were running through her head. Aside from obvious ones, which Kayla figured could be largely ignored for now, there were several other, more subtle ones. She wasn't sure whether it was the fact she had been resurrected, a fact that she had come to terms with surprisingly quickly, but she could swear that he body felt...different. Not alien, but there were very small differences with her running speed and strength. Before her apparent death she couldn't lift an iron bar and now it felt like nothing.

Eventually Kayla came to a narrow corridor filled with abandoned crates of weapons. Most of the guns were broken, and the signs of a war long ago littered the ruins of the cosmodrome. She couldn't help but wonder just what had happened after those zombie-aliens had attacked, though she felt that she would be lucky to know all of what has happened.

"Hey, Ghost?" Kayla asked out loud.

"Yes?"

"How long has it been? Since my death?"

She heard Ghost sigh, almost sad. "Since my 'birth', as it were, it has been three hundred years."

Three hundred?

"That long...?" Kayla gasped.

"Yes, you've been dead a very, very long time."

"No, not that," Kayla said softly. "You've been searching for me for three hundred years?"

"More or less. I'll probably tell you about it sometime."

A loud clattering sound came from the catwalks above them. Ghost swore quietly. "Stay quiet. They're right above us."

Kayla nodded and crept quietly through the gloom. Every footstep echoed in the darkness and every sound sent shivers up Kayla's spine, almost there was something in the shadows stalking her, reaching out for her and making Kayla feel even more vulnerable than before.

"Here, this'll help," Ghost said, forming a light above her.

"Thanks," Kayla said, breathing a sigh of relief.

Kayla eventually came to a large gangwalk. In the gloom she could hear the chattering of insects. Giant insects.

"Ghost?" she asked nervously.

"Hang tight. Fallen thrive in the dark. We won't."

He appeared in front her, looking around. "We need more light. Stay here, I'll be as quick as I can."

"What? You're just going to leave me here?" Kayla asked. "With the Fallen?"

She watched Ghost fly around the room, his light scaring away the Fallen. That seemed to be enough to drive them away from her, but she still didn't want to wait any longer than she had to. She got brief glimpses of the creatures as Ghost flew around the room. As she had already deduced, the Fallen were aliens. They were large, about five to six feet tall, insect-like in appearance and mostly clad in heavy armour with large breathing apparatus attached to the back. Suddenly the lights switched on, stunning everyone in the room. The Fallen roared and retreated and, after Kayla's eyes had adjusted to the light, she could see her enemy properly for the first time. Hordes of insectoid Fallen were covering the walls of the room.

"Kayla," Ghost shouted, flying back to her. "Kayla!"

"S-Sorry, I just..."

"Don't worry about it, I get it. But we need to get going. Quickly." Ghost motioned to a newly opened door. "This way."

Kayla nodded and ducked through the door as the Fallen opened fire on pair. Failing to catch them, the group dived for maintenance shafts to cut her off. Rahn's orders were clear: don't let the new Guardian leave this place alive.

As Kayla and Ghost ran through the corridor, Ghost stumbled on something. "Hey!" he shouted after Kayla. "I found a rifle!"

Kayla stopped and turned, quickly jogging back. She picked up the gun, an assault rifle, and looked it over.

"I hope you know how to use that thing," Ghost said.

Kayla looked at him and smirked. "Just point and shoot, right?"

Ghost nodded and disappeared. Kayla lifted the gun a few times, feeling the weight of the weapon in her hands. Taking a deep breath she set off through the workers tunnels, looking over the old metal ruins. This place must have been so beautiful in its time.

She still couldn't believe the years. Seven hundred.

"Are you worried?" Ghost asked as Kayla walked through the tunnels.

"Of course I am," Kayla replied quietly. "I just don't have the chance to show it right now."

"Oh...I'm sorry to intrude."

Kayla laughed a little. "Don't be. I mean, I'm probably going to be bawling my eyes out when we get out of here so you've got that to put up with at some point." Kayla spotted something as she turned a corner. "What is that?"

Ghost appeared beside her, poking his eye out from behind the wall. Further down the corridor, with its back to the pair, was a small Fallen dressed in red armour. It was holding a small knife and a small gun. Unlike the other Fallen, this had one pair of arms, the lower pair were stumps.

"A Dreg," Ghost replied. "Fallen pawns."

Kayla steadied herself, aiming her gun from behind the wall and taking out the Dreg with a well placed headshot. It made a small grunt and fell as blood and brain matter splattered on the floor.

"Well done!" Ghost cheered before looking at Kayla. He could see a shock in her eyes. "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah, just..." Kayla said, shaking. "Never killed anything before."

She took a deep breath, gripping the gun tightly. "Let's get going."

"I can sense movement," Ghost warned. "There's more up ahead. Be careful."

Kayla nodded and ran down the hallway. More Dregs blocked the next hallway, backed up by slightly larger Fallen.

"More Dregs!" Ghost shouted. "And they've got Vandals with them!"

Kayla ducked behind an alcove as the Dregs and Vandals opened fire with electrical weapons. Kayla ducked her head out, opening fire with several bullets. Reddish-purple blood painted the walls as Fallen fell.

"You're extraordinarily good at this," Ghost noted.

"Nope," Kayla replied. "I'm just winging it."

As Kayla reloaded one the Vandal dropped its shock rifle and pulled out a pair of swords before charging the Warlock. As it rounded the alcove Kayla panicked. On instinct she thrust out her hand. The Vandal screamed as a purple force blasted out of her palm, knocking it back. Kayla took the chance and picked up her Khvostov, blasting the Vandal in the face.

Kayla stumbled back slightly, backing against the wall, panting slightly. "This has got to be some sort of messed up dream..."

"Sadly it's not," Ghost replied. "Right now we need to keep pushing forward. We can rest and you can grieve when we get to the City, but right now, whatever you're doing to cope I need you to keep doing that."

Kayla sighed. "...Right."

Pushing herself off the wall, Kayla walked through the doorway. She came into a large storage room draped in deep red banners. In it were several Dregs and Vandals, as well as a tall Fallen in an elaborate spiked head-dress and a long red cape. It was carrying a large launcher type weapon.

"Uh oh..." Ghost said quietly.

"What is it?" Kayla asked.

"A Captain," Ghost replied.

"Indeed," the Captain said in a deep hiss.

"You speak English?" Kayla asked, readying her gun.

"Enough to converse with your kind," the Captain explained. "Make things easier. It is custom among your kind to introduce yourselves, yes? I am Rahn, Captain in House Devil."

"Kayla."

"Fallen once worshipped Great Machine," Rahn said. "But Great Machine ran when Whirlwind came. Fallen once mighty, but Whirlwind destroyed us. We searched for Great Machine, and found it here. Protecting you."

"The Traveller and...the Whirlwind?" Kayla asked.

"I think he means the Darkness," Ghost said quietly before address Rahn. "The Darkness destroyed you like it did the humans?"

"Yes," Rahn growled. "But Great Machine protects you. Uses Guardians to defend you. Why did it not protect Fallen?" Rahn growled deeply, his voice vibrating throughout the room. "GREAT MACHINE WILL RESTORE FALLEN, WILL RESTORE HOUSE DEVIL!"

Kayla sighed. "Then you leave me no choice."

Rahn huffed. "Then you die, yes?"

"I don't plan on it," Kayla replied.

"Fire!" Rahn bellowed.

The Devil camp erupted into a blaze of gunfire as Kayla ducked between large concrete pillars, taking headshots at the Dregs and the Vandals at every opportunity. As the Dregs came in close she backed up, kicking the aliens back and pouring as many bullets as she could into their chests.

"Incoming!" Ghost yelled.

Kayla snapped her head to the left, seeing Rahn firing of a large ball of metal from his launcher. Kayla dived to the side as the metal impacted the ground, a piece of shrapnel embedded itself in her robe. Kayla cried at in pain looking at the shard, too fearful to breath. She managed to rip it out leaving a small, bloody gash in her chest.

Kayla stood up, gasping in pain. Rahn chuckled and teleported towards her. Kayla pulled the trigger of her rifle, only to find it empty.

"Shit!" she hissed.

"Scattercast, on the shelf," Ghost said.

Kayla looked around frantically, spotting a small shelf with a white shotgun on it. Kayla grabbed it, biting back the pain that spread through her chest. She readied it, waiting for Rahn to get closer. When he was within range Kayla fired, shocked at the recoil the weapon had. But the shells were enough to stun the Captain allowing her to fire once more. Rahn grabbed his chest, bleeding slightly and gasping.

"Door on the other side of the room," Ghost said. "Go. Now!"

Kayla nodded and screamed, smacking Rahn in the face with the butt of her shotgun and knocking him to the ground. Kayla ran as best she could across the room to the door. When she got through she closed it and let Ghost lock it.

"Well, he certainly seems to be in a foul mood," Ghost said, looking at Kayla as she stumbled. "Here, let me take a look at that wound."

Kayla nodded, opening her robe slightly to let Ghost look. "Stings like a bitch."

"Haha, I bet," Ghost laughed. "Hold still, this will only take a second."

Out of Ghost's eye came a white light. The light poured itself into the wound, closing it up and leaving no scar.

"So you can open doors and heal me?" Kayla laughed. "What are you? Swiss Army Ghost?"

"Gift from the Traveller," Ghost replied, looking as though he was smiling. "We wouldn't be much use if we couldn't keep our Guardians alive, would we?"

Kayla smiled, standing up and looking around at the large rusted pipe they were now in. Ghost looked at her. "Kayla, would you care to join me on a trip through a cooling tunnel?"

"How could I resist an offer of cooling tunnels?"

The pair walked down the tunnel listening to rain water drip from the ceiling. The tunnel curved slightly, leaving Kayla very wary of what she was walking into. "Is there an exit nearby?" she asked Ghost.

"There should be a door up ahead, it'll lead us out to the main shipyard," Ghost replied. "Hmmm..."

"Something bugging you?"

"I know the Cosmodrome is a dangerous place, but I've never seen this many Fallen in one place. They must have a tighter old on this place than I thought." Ghost sighed as they came up to a door.

"This one?"

Ghost nodded. "Just a little bit farther now. Let's just hope there's still something left out here."

Kayla slowing opened the door, pointing her Scattercast at any would be enemies. The room she ended up in looked like an old control room. Old computers and filing cabinets littered the room and rubble was strewn across the floor from the ceiling. Through the broken window she could see a large snowy cliff littered with old industrial crates and several abandoned buildings. The walls towered above her and a large, ancient ship dominated the skyline.

"This was an old Cosmodrome," Ghost explained as Kayla surveyed the wasteland. "There's got to be something we can use to fly out of here."

"It's so...sad," Kayla said quietly as she walked down some metal steps.

"What do you mean?"

"To know what this place once was, and now there's just...this." She motioned to the ruins. "Is it all like this? Is it really all gone?"

"Gone, yes. But not forgotten. And we're fighting every day to get it back."

Kayla nodded, looting some ammo crates for her rifle. As she walked along the snowy cliff a large portal opened in the sky. Out of it flew three brown ships which settled over a nearby dock, Dock 13. They had a heavily armoured bow and a narrow tail with a single tail fin giving it the appearance of a large metal tadpole.

"Fallen ships!" Ghost exclaimed in shock. "This close to the surface?"

"You don't think Rahn called for reinforcements, do you?" Kayla asked, holstering her shotgun on her back and readying her assault rifle.

"It's possible," Ghost replied. "If Rahn knows I've only just found you he'll want to kill you before you back a problem for the Fallen." Ghost pondered for a moment. "I'm picking up signs of an old jumpship. Could be our ticket out of here."

"It's in Dock 13, isn't it?" Kayla asked dryly. "With all the Fallen?"

"Yes," Ghost replied, feigning confidence.

"This is going to become a regular thing isn't it?"

"Most likely, yes."

"Well, in a for a penny..." Kayla lamented, vaulting a small wall.

As she ran to Dock 13 the Fallen poured out to stop her. She managed to dispatch the Dregs in a hail of bullets and forced back the Vandals with her palm blasts. She had no idea how she was doing it, but she wasn't going to complain. As she neared the entrance of the dock she assaulted by several Vandals, back up by several small robots.

"Those are Shanks, don't let them surround you!" Ghost shouted.

Kayla switched to her Scattercast, dispatching the Shanks with ease before mowing down the Vandals. With the Fallen dead, Kayla pushed into Dock 13, moving through the collapsed corridors. She eventually came across a large room with a collapsed roof. Suspended above it, tangled in cables, was a sleek weathered jumpship. It was battered and broken in places with cracks running all over the body.

"There's the jumpship!" Ghost cried. "Take me to it, let me see if I can get us out of here..."

Kayla ran up to the ship and held out her hand. Ghost formed and flew to the ship, scanning it all over.

"I hope you know how to fly that," Kayla said.

"Don't worry, I can take you to the City," Ghost said, turning to her slightly. "The Vanguard will teach you how to fly."

"Human!" came a roaring hiss from the doorway.

"Oh, hell..." Kayla groaned.

The pair turned to see an angry Captain Rahn stood in the doorway brandishing a pair of electrified swords.

"I thought we got rid of you," Ghost said. "Take him out, Kayla!"

"Pleasure."

Kayla ran at Rahn with her Scattercast in hand. Rahn closed in, slashing down with both swords. He missed, allowing Kayla to take advantage and fire a shell into his face. Rahn stumbled back, growling. He lunged at her, swiping frantically with his swords.

"Great Machine belongs to Fallen!" Rahn snarled. "Not humans!"

Kayla blocked with her shotgun, pushing Rahn back slightly. "I'm sorry."

Rahn blinked in shocked. "What?"

"I'm sorry, for what the Darkness did to you. And I'm sorry that the Traveller chose to protect us and not your kind. It's not right, and I'm sorry."

Rahn backed off slightly, shaking his head. "Human...sorry? No. Sorry not good enough."

"Rahn, it doesn't have to be like this," Kayla said calmly. "If the Fallen are victims of the Darkness too, then we should be helping each other, not fighting."

"You want...to help Fallen?" Rahn asked in disbelief.

As the pair talked, Ghost watched on from the jumpship. No one really knew what had caused the Fallen to chase the Traveller and he was surprised, but not doubtful, that the Darkness was the driving force behind it. He was surprised that Kayla had taken the time to try and reason with this Fallen Captain instead of killing him out right. No other Guardian, at least none that he was aware of, ever tried to reason with the disciples of Darkness and give them a chance to surrender. As he watched his Guardian he couldn't help but feel proud.

"Rahn, please," Kayla said sternly. "I don't want to hurt you. Surely it's better for two races to work together against a common enemy then to fight each other over scraps?"

"You keep Great Machine..." Rahn seethed. "And you're sorry?! Sorry doesn't help Fallen! Sorry doesn't bring great empire back! You horde Great Machine! Now, you die!"

Kayla sighed, and pulled out her rifle as Rahn charged. In a hail of bullets Kayla disabled Rahn's shield. He stumbled but slashed at Kayla angrily. She ducked, switching to her shotgun. Before she had a chance to use it Rahn punched her with one of his lower arms. The force sent her flying. Kayla growled and thrust out her left hand. It glowed a violent purple and sent an orb of purple light that exploded at Rahn's feet. The light blinded him as a small vortex appeared around him, damaging him.

"What the hell...?" Kayla asked herself. "No, save it for later."

Kayla charged with Rahn with her shotgun, blasting him in the face then switched to her rifle and filled him with bullets. Rahn roared and fell to his knees, panting and bleeding heavily.

"Well...done, human..." Rahn panted, rolling on to his back. "You killed me...perhaps Great Machine chose humans for this reason..."

Kayla kneeled over Rahn. "I don't believe the Traveller is like that. I heard that the Traveller helps people, it isn't a killer."

"Then...why did Great Machine...leave Fallen?"

"I don't know," Kayla replied, managed to open Rahn's mask. Rahn blinked weakly, mandibles clicking.

"Perhaps...you find out?"

"I will, I promise."

"Good..." Rahn said quietly, breathing his last breath.

Kayla sighed and closed Rahn's eyes. She stood and walked up to Ghost. Ghost looked at her, then hesitantly asked, "are you alright?"

"I don't know," Kayla replied simply. "I'll feel better when I'm away from the Fallen for a while."

Ghost nodded then scanned the ship. "It's been here a while. Hasn't made a jump in centuries." He turned to Kayla. "We're lucky if the Fallen haven't picked it clean."

Kayla stepped forward. "Will it fly?"

"If I can fuse some of the power matrices...yes, I can make it work."

Ghost disappeared into the ship. With a loud clang and deafening whir the ship jumped into life. It fell slightly, tearing the cables that entangled it before hovering above them. Ghost turned to Kayla.

"Okay, it's not going to break orbit, but it just might get us to the City."

"That's good enough for me," Kayla said.

"Now, about that transmat..."

Suddenly a large roar ripped through the building. Crawling out of a large hole in the wall was gargantuan Fallen with a brown horned helmet and elaborate brown and red armour. It jumped out and made its way to Kayla and Ghost, the ground shaking with every step.

"Ghost!" Kayla said hurriedly.

"Bringing you in!"

Kayla teleported into the ship and sat in the seat. "How do I work this?"

"I'll control the advanced stuff, you just steer. Ready?"

"Yeah!"

"Then let's go!"

The jumpship flew off, leaving the angered Fallen shooting futilely at it. As the pair fled the Cosmodrome, they failed to see a hooded stranger watching them from the rooftops.