01 - Tower arrival and making friends
"So what can I expect when I get to this place?" Enquired the titan, who could now take her helmet off as she steered her ship through the gaps between snowy mountains.
"Oh its full of surprises" The lady ghost answered
After brief soar through the storm clouds and the sight of a tower shimmered into view. The sunlight beaming over it and a great spherical object hovered above behind it. The lady guardian's eyes went wide at what was before them.
"Tis pretty, can't deny that." The titan answered.
"Yes guardian, always amazes me every time." Violet answered"
"I can see why, and by the way we gotta workout a title for me that isn't guardian…come to think of it I don't even have a name…" The titan trailed off, unsure of what to say next to her ghost while their craft soared towards the city.
"Well there's an old transition with every guardian we bring back, they get to choose their own name. It's kind of our thing" Her ghost answered…who watched her expressions as she processed that information.
"Hmmmmm, how bout Sheila?" The guardian asked.
"Oooooo, catchy. Sounds like the title of a badass." Answered her lady ghost.
"Heh, guess you are right there" Sheila replied while gently steering her ship steadily before her ghost transmitted her onto the tower. Landing gently with a soft impact, the young titan's head turned to the view before them.
"Its, so beautiful." The female Guardian spoke, trying not to tear up at the sight before her. How the sun's glow bounced off the spherical shape of the traveller. Turning their ship around, they arrived at what resembled a balcony but much larger. Violet transmatted her titan out of the ship and onto the courtyard.
"Welcome to the last city Sheila." Violet replied as their ship turned sharply to the landing zone at the towering tower.
"This, is humanity's last great stronghold on earth and the only place left that the traveller can still protect. Took centuries to construct, now we count every day that it stands…and this tower, is where all the guardians stay." The ghost remarked. While her Titan gazed at the many warlocks, hunters and fellow titans chatting, comparing weapons, and interacting with the many stalls in this tower. Some humans, while others appeared humanoid yet with varying shades of blue skin and some were robotic looking.
"Guardians are made up of three class types. Wise Warlocks, stealthy hunters and hard-hitting titans like yourself. All of them are either Humans, Exos or Awoken. They'll be plenty of time for you to familiarise with them once you've settled in, till then you should get acquainted with the vanguard." Violet told her.
As the titan strolled down the stairways, her ghost got her up to speed with the basics on who the members of the vanguard were. Paid to have some knowledge on them before you met em. They passed a fellow titan dressed in white and orange. One of the horns on his helmet, likely broken from battle. A frame standing opposite him. With matching horns. Eventually The duo approached the vanguard war table. Once down the stairs, a trio of one titan, hunter and warlock stood before Sheila.
"Step forward Titan," spoke the blue skinned man. Vocal tone deep, authoritative but humble.
"Commander" she spoke up, trying to imitate a soldier.
"At ease my dear. I see you are our newest arrival. Welcome." Zavala spoke with that cool voice he was known for.
"Indeed, I am sir, my ghost violet calls me Sheila." She answered, waiting eagerly on his next words.
"Always good to have a new Titan amongst our ranks. Know that everything you see here and throughout this tower are what you live and fight for. Though you should also know that this is your new reality. When you walk down those stairs each and every morning…your ass is mine." Zavala Finished, Sheila gazing at him with her face now pale.
"Works every time." The Hunter Exo spoke, noticing how the titan vanguard stifled a chuckle and Ikora let out a humorous 'hmph' over the silence that had befallen the new light.
"Even though you report to me, Ikora and Cayde will also be available for you to speak with if that is ever needed." Commander Zavala answered with a smile that was soft yet subtle.
"I hear ya. Loud and Clear Commander Zavala. Loud and Clear." Answered the Blonde. Who's only follow up was a soft 'heh'.
"Thank you, you are dismissed." He said politely to which Sheila nodded and prepared for exploring the rest of the tower.
"Hey, take me with you. I hate this job." Cayde whispered, to which the lady guardian leaned his way."
"Sorry mate, I would love to but no can do." She answered, Zavala noticed this and couldn't help pulling a cheeky smirk.
Once acquainted with The Vanguard, Sheila headed back upstairs where Violet introduced her to Banshee-44. An Exo like Cayde but different when it came to paint scheme and head ornaments.
"So he's my Vanguard. Right?" Sheila enquired.
"Zavala sees every life in this city as his responsibility. Guardian or not as his responsibility. Which I'm sure you can understand why. Ain't easy keeping all these titans in line after all." Violet told her titan kindly, who she could tell was making mental notes.
"Totally, makes me glad he's got fellow guardians like Ikora and Cayde to count on." The lady lightbearer nodded eagerly in her response as they walked back up to the tower's top end and went off to inspect what seemed to be a weapons stall. Introducing themselves to Banshee-44.
"I'll see what I can set you up with." The voice of a blue and yellow exo answered.
"Hmm, thinking something that shoots hard and fast…" Sheila asked him, to which he acted on her word choice and went with the Marshal-A auto rifle from the selection he had. The weapon was larger than the first one she found but sturdier built. Carefully she ran her rans over the weapon, adjusting to its barrel and grip.
"Might not look like much but I'm sure you'll find a way to make it work." Banshee spoke up with crossed arms, yet his tone cool as a cucumber.
"Hey, if it got more rounds in it and its full auto…a win-win if you ask me. Thanks" She replied and nodded to the exo in acknowledgement. All the while her ghost scanned the weapons schematics.
"It's 600 rpm too, so definitely got kick" Violet added.
"Appreciate your help with this banshee, like…really appreciate it" answered Sheila.
"Anytime Guardian." The Exo's deep but soft tone boomed.
After that the new light to the right and down a hallway leading to a area where aircraft seemed to be docking. It was a surprisingly spacious.
Across from the guardian and her ghost sat a short haired blonde girl. Tattoo on her right shoulder and upper arm. As well as what was clearly a mechanical replacement for her right leg. Pretty handsome looking in the eyes of the titan who approached with a hand waving at the lady.
"What's up." The titan called over.
"Sup, must be new here I take it? Ain't seen a titan with pigtails in a while" Answered the tomboy lady, who eyes had a teal shine to them.
"Yeah I'm the new gal round here. Ship docked in couple of mins ago." The titan answered, pointing in the direction of her craft floating in the hangar.
"That what you flew in on?" Miss Holliday asked nicely, trying not to feel a little discomfort over the rusty parts of that Arcadia Jumpship. Poor maintenance on anything was always something that could grind her gear. Amanda's gaze then turned back to the young guardian, who's expression immediately from a goofy smile to semi-serious.
"Uh…rugged old bird but still got enough flight in her to get me here." Sheila answered with a shrug. The shipwright returned a soft smirk back at her with one eyebrow raised high, sure the titan's ship was a little bit tatty looking, but she'd seen worse.
"Think I can get her fixed up, but imma need a day or two…and looks like she ain't got no warp-drive either. So, you sure ain't gonna be planet hopping anytime soon" She'd answer the guardian. Whose Australian accent certainly stuck out like the spikes on a thorny devil.
"Well just got here, so um…you'll certainly see me around. If you know what I mean." The titan asked, hoping her word choice didn't come across corny.
"Um, guess I do." Holliday stammered over words, unsurprising given how good looking this titan standing before her was.
"Nice talking to ya ma'am, have fun with my bird," Sheila said before she started to walk off.
"Say Guardian, feel free to drop by when ya wanna get a sparrow. I got plenty to spare." The Shipwright called politely, enough to make the titan turn around.
"Sounds good girl, will catch ya later miss uh…" Sheila yelled with booming happiness in her voice, though feeling a little awkward having not asked for the freckled girl's name.
"Holliday. Amanda Holliday." The shipwright replied, playfully winking back.
"Got it. Call me Sheila. Sheila Brokeston. And thank you Amanda." said the titan Her ghost a little stumped about the choice of last name, but to the guardian there was something about it that just seemed to fit.
"Right, Sheila. See you round." Amanda answered back and chuckled. Smiling softly while watching Sheila go while a sweet grin was plastered on her face.
"Well, she seems quite nice…and I say that professionally." The titan spoke to her ghost, getting a rolling movement from her little light.
"Yeah…professionally…sure…" Violet joked, despite not having the facial expressions of a human guardian she could easily tell that this Titan already found Amanda attractive.
The day or two consisted of exploring every nook and cranny round the tower. As well as the occasional bit of tomfoolery with fellow guardians and the football that was kept around the tower watch area.
"Right, so crucible handler is Shaxx, our Shipwright being Amanda Hollday, Vanguard trio of Zavala, Ikora and Clyde, Gunsmith Banshee, Lakshmi-2 with FWC, Arch Jalaal with Dead Orbit, Hideo with New Monarchy, Eva selling armour shaders and our trusty postmaster frame Kadi to keep track of items I pick up in the field…" Answered the titan.
"Yup. FWC, New Monarchy and Dead Orbit are always looking to recruit guardians for their causes. Though the Vanguard have mixed feeling about the influence their ideas have on lightbearers and non-lightbearers." Her ghost was swift on the reply.
"I see, politics can be messy after all. Any I missed?" Sheila asked.
"The Speaker, he supposedly communes with the traveller. Or so he's claimed." Violet replied.
"So like one of those preachers from that golden age you spoke of" The guardian answered
"I can see where you draw the comparison. Though preachers pre-date the golden age-" Violet replied, only to see her titan had gotten distracted. Sheila had spotted that same hunter she'd crossed paths with back in the Cosmodrome. Helmet now off, red hair and blue skin on full display. A three clawed scarring on the area of cheek beneath his left eye. Though he had the same armour.
"That's him, should go introduce ourselves." Said the little light
"Um, I…" The titan stammered, part of her grateful to see him but a little unsure about actually talking to him
"Wait, are you anxious or something?" The Little Light leaned into her guardian's face
"Wha- no its just…I'm more of the other person introduce themselves first kind of person" Sheila blarted out
"What is any of that supposed to mean?" Violet said, trying to probe some sense out of the titan's word choice.
"I'm saying that I will, not right now though." The titan said swiftly
"Come on She, gotta start somewhere." Her ghost asked nicely
"Oh you are so not calling me that!" Sheila barked, unaware that the nickname was going to stick with her for the rest of her now immortal life.
"Pretty please She?" the ghost pleaded politely.
"Ugh, fine, if it stops that corny nickname" the titan muttered and started to follow that, Hunter.
Author's notes:
This chapter I dedicated to the memory of Zavala's voice actor. Rest In peace Lance Reddick and see you starside.