School sucks the fattest, wrinkliest pair of Cabals and we're not even at the hardest part yet. 10K words. Have fun. Or don't.

War on Mars

Final preparations were always a tense affair, regardless of the missions they preceded. On the eve of even the easiest ones, the missions Guardians would spend the night drinking together beforehand, as if the next day was just routine, there was always a restless air about. Anything could go wrong at any time. They often did and that fact weighed over every celebrating head.

Asura's hand cannon had gone from a simple project to something approaching an obsession. Unhealthy or not, that was not something Asura was sure he could say. What he could say was that directing his mind towards its construction focused him better than anything else and kept his mind off of what was to come so he could prepare properly. Others had alcohol, he had this. But only because he didn't have alcohol.

Asura kept to a chair in the back of the living room. On the couch at the room's center sat Aro, raiding their kitchen was Crona. Asura spoke with them when spoken to and kept his eyes on the parts laid out on the small coffee table he had dragged before him. Against his better judgement, he let another work on the assembly. Even when his eyes flicked upwards at something one of the others said, Wrath(A) would continue unhindered. It seemed he only needed the corners of Asura's vision to glean the information he needed; a discovery for both of them. He still didn't understand what it was but he wasn't alone in that. Whatever it may have been, it was growing stronger by the day. Stronger and strangely, less worrying. He could almost forget what Wrath(A) was capable of.

The word "Heralds" reached Asura's ears, likely because of Wrath(A), and he tuned back into the conversation. Aro said he believed that even if they knew what they were currently planning, it was unlikely that they would interfere. Their enemies needed the King's Gate as much as they did. Within, Asura felt a prick of doubt. The Heralds would involve themselves in any matter that might be a danger to Aro and a Goliath tank was nothing to scoff at, or so Asura had been told. All he knew was from word of mouth. He still hadn't read Sora's report that had been sent months ago but that was why one kept a Warlock in their back pocket.

Goliath tanks weren't known for accuracy but they more than made up for it in raw firepower. Large, explosive payloads; larger targets that couldn't move quickly were often decimated in a few hits. Smaller targets that could move often struggled to escape its blast radius when it made contact.

All Asura could think about as Aro spoke of it was how they had already faced so much worse. They faced down an Archon. They had faced Gluttony, who outclassed every opponent they had before him. They faced Wrath(K), who had all of Gluttony's strength but with a sound mind to wield it. What would the Cabal be in comparison, who were still reeling from a Warsat attack that was little more than Rasputin stretching his legs? Who were either being beaten down by crazed Vex or bored Guardians in their efforts to hold Mars? As long as the Heralds did as Aro predicted and stayed away for once, this had all the makings of an easy in and out. Another prick of doubt.

Asura had been ready since morning, armor inspected, loadout determined. In the time since then, he had gone to Banshee to purchase another bag of spare parts. It had only been a few hours but he was already half-through this new one. Wrath(A) was going to burn through Banshee's supplies and Asura's Glimmer, accepting or discarding each and every part based on his very particular and barely remembered specifications.

The others had jumped topic again, as they did to keep the place from becoming too quiet. Asura's eyes flicked away from the table and took Aro in, all while his hands continued unhindered. He looked as he always did, as if he hadn't gotten enough sleep. Asura wasn't sure he had gotten over a week's worth of sleep without some kind of nightmare since he had first been revived. Whether this time, in particular, was due to the tank or something else, Asura knew not to press, not to express his concern. Aro hid it well enough and was good at shutting such conversations down. Years of practice at both.

Crona was still ransacking their kitchen, rummaging through cabinets and drawers. There was the occasional clink of ammunition, her weapons splayed out on the dining table. Her rummaging was also interspersed with complaints about their fridge. The fact that it was mainly takeout, with a lack of anything freshly cooked. When Aro reminded her that not all of them had a mother at home to cook for them, she brushed it off as excuses.

She never answered the question and by Aro's small grin, that was enough for him. He turned to Asura and the gun. Asura could feel his hands freeze and go limp as Wrath(A) retreated. Aro still had that effect on him. "How goes?" Aro asked.

"Tedious," Asura said, grounding himself, "Your shard?"

"Still drinking it in." Aro's hand instinctively went to his pocket. "It was excessive a month ago but now, I wonder if I should be worried."

"What about the other one?"

"I still can't give it away."

"I know that but have you done anything besides stare at it?"

Aro shrugged and leaned back in his seat. "Haven't even been staring at it. It's locked up until I can find a use for it."

"You know," Crona spoke with her mouth full, "Nothing's actually stopping you from giving it away. You don't have to do it now. Just wait a bit until Hideo's moved on to the next thing that will get him in front of a newsfeed. Like a week's time."

Aro sighed and scratched his head. "I know…I would just rather not. It was a gift."

"From Hideo." Crona tossed something else into her mouth. One by one, the weapons began to disappear, sent to her ship." Lakshmi's still working on the Arc engine. Still wants to hear more about the Vex and the Vault." Once the counter was clear, she leaned on it. "Starting to think she's keeping me around on purpose. Just can't figure out what for. Hard to believe it's just to chat."

"Has she asked about the Aegis?" Asura gestured to her arm.

Crona lifted it, her rolled-back sleeve exposing the black markings on her forearm, stark against her skin. "As far as she's concerned, it's just another tattoo."

Wrath(A) returned when the conversation turned away from them. Like a frightened animal coming out of its cave, Asura thought. Wrath(A) didn't appreciate the comparison.

The signal they had all been waiting for came through Kain. The Vanguard was calling. Conversation dribbles to a halt after that. Aro's and Crona's movements immediately picked up, moving to pack the last of their things while Asura quickly swept all the remaining gun parts into their box. He took it, picked up the half-finished gun and carried both back to his room, locking them in a drawer at his desk. Outside, the others waited for him in the hall.

They made their way there quickly and in silence. May was there when they arrived, speaking to her Ghost. She stopped once she noticed them, her Ghost disappearing. She greeted them politely, complete with a smile that did not reach her eyes.

By the time the three of them had found a place around the central table, Mira was coming down the stairs, working a toothpick in her teeth. Shino followed a minute later, fixing his hair and appearing as if he had just rolled out of bed minutes ago. He came into the Vanguard Hall and after a second, walked over to the rest of them. He came to stand next to Asura, behind Aro; his arms crossed, his shoulders a tense line. Aro took a small step forward.

Cayde came bouncing down the stairs not long after. "Ah, early!" The sudden spike in the room's volume earned him a few glares. He sidled up to them. "You'll have to do a little more to impress me, personally, but Zavala will appreciate the overachievement. Now…" He clapped his gloved hands together, bright, blue eyes flitting between each of them. "I managed the first few lines of the report I was given so Aro, May, we're gonna need you both to take the lead."

From the far end, May leaned forward. "Why us?"

"Because Ikora house-trained you well. I know you've read it."

May's eyes rolled upwards but she leaned back and said nothing, especially not denial. Neither did Aro, tight lips held back laughter. Crona spoke up. "I've read it."

Cayde stepped up to her. "Of course you have. Daddy's widdle girl." The fingers that reached up to squeeze her cheek were promptly slapped away. Cayde flinched and shook his hand. "You hit like him too."

"Also we're not early," Aro told him, "The Commander called us just a little while ago."

Cayde turned to him, blinking. "Did he now? Huh. I should probably have Sundance unmute him at some point."

"I'd at least consider it."

"Cayde." The Commander's voice rang across the entire room as he came down the stairs heavily, one by one. "We're starting." He rounded the table and came to a stop before Cayde's map.

"Are we?" Cayde asked, "You're standing in my spot. You're all the way down-" He gestured towards the end of the table.

Zavala turned a disapproving look onto him just as the projector at the center of the table began to wake up, casting his face in shadow. Cayde's arm dropped. "Never mind. Whenever you're ready."

The Commander grunted and then straightened up, turning softer eyes on the Guardians. "Guardians. Will of Light, thank you for being here. You're all aware of your mission." Mars appeared above the table, casting the rest of it in red. The image zoomed into Meridian bay and then further into the Valley of the Kings.

"Several months ago, we learned that certain entities…" Behind him, Cayde made air quotes. "Seek the Black Garden. More specifically, they seek a weapon at its center that they can turn against the Traveler and the Last City. It was determined then that we would need to get into the Black Garden ourselves in order to prevent this from happening. So far, substantial progress has been made. Fireteam Daniel and the Reef Awoken have procured us a key. Fireteam Aashir has procured us information. But due to the aggression they have suffered at the hands of the Vex coming from the King's Gate, it seems the Cabal seek to destroy it."

The image of Mars shifted into an image of a Goliath tank. Next to it was a Sparrow, just for comparison. A comparison that showed what Asura could already guess from the name; the tank was massive, built to deal punishment, withstand punishment and roll over whatever got in its way, including them. If he had any guess what the Cabal were thinking in building this, then, especially them.

"Your instructions are simple, Guardians. Search and destroy. The King's Gate may or may not be the only way our enemies have access to the Garden but currently, it is the only way for us. We cannot afford to lose it."

"While you're there…" Cayde pushed against Zavala so he could get to his map but only succeeded in nearly toppling himself over. Next to Asura, Shino coughed to hide a laugh. "Be on the lookout for info on other tanks," he said after shaking himself off. "This might be the only one that's ready to go out and make a mess but I doubt it's the only one they're making. Or…" He shrugged, "Ikora doubts."

"Like I said, the mission is simple but simple missions are always at risk of encountering…" Zavala grunted again, "Complications."

"Five in particular." Cayde waved a dismissive hand. "Run along now. And watch your backs out there, savvy?"

"Go forth, Guardians. And be brave."

Crona remained as the others began to filter out. She rounded the table to reach her father. Asura shared a look with Aro and silently, they chose to wait for her. They followed the others to the entrance of the Hall but stopped at the top of the stairs. Aro rounded the corner wall and leaned against it with a sigh. He looked as if his armor was weighing him down. Asura stood some distance away to give him room. "You're certain the Heralds won't interfere?"

Aro simply shrugged. "I'm never sure when it comes to the Heralds. Or Pride." He shrugged again. "Just seems unlikely. Or maybe I'm just hopeful."

Asura folded his arms behind him, resting them at the small of his back. "Wrath has been…" Two Guardians passed by, too deep in their own conversation to notice them. "Wrath's been calm these past few months," Asura told him, his voice lowered, "I'm worried what encountering the Heralds might do to him." Saying it aloud, Asura expected some kind of response from within. Acknowledgement or even defiance. Only silence filled him. It was as if Wrath(A) himself was not sure how he would react. Survival had been his sole concern since the day he woke within Asura's mind. There was nothing less conducive to that goal than facing down one of the seven and the both of them had more reason than most to be concerned. Wrath(A) historically never reacted well to their presence.

"We'll keep an eye out," Aro assured him. It wasn't much but there wasn't much more that could be said. Asura shook himself out of his own head before he could start that downward spiral. He knew Wrath(A) could hear him, sense his dread, understood that it was aimed at him. That no matter what rapport they had established, it wouldn't remove the sword hanging over Asura's head. Nothing ever really would.

Footsteps drew their attention back to the Hall. Crona came up the stairs and nearly strode past them, doing a double-take before stopping. "Were you boys waiting for me?" She cocked her head. "That is so sweet! Should I hold your hands on the way too?"

Aro pushed off the wall. "Don't flatter yourself. We didn't want you getting lost on the way to the Hangar."

Crona shared a look with Asura and the Exo shrugged. "He's grumpy." He felt a slap against his shoulder. "Might need a diaper change too." Aro hit him harder.

"Then he can meet us when he's done." Crona began to walk away. "Wash your hands," she called.

Asura ran to catch up and to avoid another hit from Aro, who aimed his muttered insults at Asura's back.

Crona saw Aro and Asura leaving the Vanguard Hall from the corner of her eye. She turned back when she heard her father's voice. "Any updates on the engine?" He pushed off the table, turned his eyes from the map and towards her.

She shook her head. "Lakshmi's still-"

"Taking her time." His brow furrowed. "I wonder if I need to talk to her myself."

"It's fine," Crona said quickly, "I've got it handled."

"Is she still just asking questions?"

"All she ever does. Don't worry, I'm careful with my answers."

"Of course she is," Sol chirped though he did not materialize, "She runs them all by me."

A chuckle rumbled in Zavala's chest. "I'll continue work on my end and we'll keep waiting. But for now, you know what you need to do." Her father put a hand to her shoulder and squeezed. "Good luck. And be careful."

While empty space and all it held hurtled past her, Crona spent her time with her face in a screen. Other people her age would likely do the same, if they had the ability to travel to other planets on a whim. They were messages and well-wishes from her family mostly. One from each of them. All except for her brother, it seemed. Akira often sent one in both of their names but even when she did, he always sent one of his own personally; full of decades-old inside jokes and jabs to disguise worry.

She remembered passing an article in her mindless scrolling; one about continued unrest among the civilian population, something Crona recalled he had been pulled directly into the middle of. When was the last time she had even thought about it? When was the last time she asked him about it? Or even asked him about him?

"Lots of flame-fanning," Sol answered her silent question. "Some factions are using the unrest to garner support."

Crona frowned. "Lakshmi's never mentioned a thing."

"She isn't as involved as others. You seem to have her total focus." The words made it sound like a good thing but Crona still felt an aura of discomfort permeate her thoughts. Maybe she wasn't being careful enough with her words.

"Why have things gotten so bad?"

"If your brother wasn't dealing with this all by himself, it might not have."

Crona sighed and turned her eyes to the director. They'd be on Mars soon. She shut down the projection and got to her feet. "I'll talk to him, once we're done here." She started towards the back of her ship. As soon as she opened the weapons locker, Aro's voice began to emit from the comms on her dash.

"You all are aware of what we need to do so I won't repeat it," he started. Crona's ship shook slightly as it exited warp space. Mars was massive even out of the corner of her vision. "We'll be dropping down in the Rubicon Wastes. Located there is a base that should have the terminal we need to lock down the Goliath. Kain and I will hack the terminal, Crona will watch my back while the rest of you do what you can to keep the Cabal from bothering us. Vanguard scouts report an increased presence as well as some damage to the surrounding landscape. Seems they scrapped with some Guardians and have been on high alert ever since."

Crona returned to the dashboard, the tiny mountains and skyscrapers of Mars below her growing larger with each passing second. "Once I have the location, it's a straight shot to the tank. We destroy it, anything else we deem to be a threat and we leave before we draw…attention."

"Understood," Crona said back, twisting her wrist back and forth to check its movement and ensure it wasn't too tight. She heard Asura and May sound off the same, followed by Mira. Shino remained silent; an uncommon occurrence for him in any circumstance.

The sun was beating hard on the desert today. It was hotter than she was used to and Sol had let her know that it would likely be so for the rest of the month. Crona's boots sank into a deceptively deep section of sand once Sol dropped her on the planet's surface. With a quiet heave, she pulled her leg up and out, kicking up a wave of sand just after Asura appeared in front of her.

The others dropped in one after the other, jumpships taking off back into the air. While Asura groused and beat the sand coating his cloak, Aro came up next to him and took a knee. Surveying the area herself, Crona could see what he meant. Pieces of metal from destroyed Cabal armor and exploded vehicles still littered the dunes near the Rubicon base, even after the Cabal likely tried to salvage their losses. "Whoever the last Guardians through here were, they left a mess."

"Daniel and Erek."

Crona's eyes turned down to him. "Huh?"

"Daniel and Erek were the Guardians last through here," he elaborated, "Turns out it had something to do with the Eye."

Crona turned back to the scene before them. "Erek's usually a lot cleaner."

"Where was Kayla?" Asura asked.

"Deployed elsewhere, on a separate mission."

"Aro." The Warlock turned at the sound of his name. Mira stood with her team, a few feet behind them. "We should move. Where's our target?" Her tone was even but clipped. She stood with her team but they couldn't look further apart if they wanted to.

"There." Aro pointed to the base. A dozen Legionnaires stomped the sands flat before it.

May strode past them. "We can draw their attention," she said to him. "Let you slip past unnoticed."

"Alright." Her Sparrow appeared before her and in the next second, May was off. Mira came past them next and the shadow passing over her head indicated that Shino was at her side. Asura, still trying to rid himself of the sand, hurriedly summoned his Sparrow and followed the other three.

Crona and Aro stayed behind and watched as four trails ran across the desert. Crona took a knee next to him. "We'll let them cause a bit of trouble and then-"

One Sparrow, the largest one, suddenly split off from the others, putting him on track to collide with a roving platoon of Cabal. Shino twisted around in his seat and brought his fist down on the thruster, again and again, causing it to crack and spew out plumes of flames and black smoke. He stood and jumped off, rolling as he hit the ground. The Sparrow kept going.

Aro and Crona's eyes tracked upwards as the explosion sent sand spouting into the air. Crona turned back to Aro. "Enough trouble for you?"

"I-" Another explosion cut him off. Just under the noise, she heard Sol chuckle. "Let's-" He flinched at another explosion. "Let's go before they bring the entire base down on our heads."

Aro climbed to the peak of the sandy hill and slid down, Crona following him. From there, Sparrows were summoned. Security alarms in the base grew louder as they approached but from what she could see, the base's interior was empty. Both jumped off their Sparrows as soon as they were close enough, Aro running into the base while Crona paused to ready her gun and scan the area for stragglers. She found none. If Mira and her team did nothing else well, it was make a mess.

"Eren's handiwork is all over this," she heard Kain mutter. Crona turned to where Aro and his Ghost had stopped, a terminal that could get them into the Battlenet. Aro stood protectively over his Ghost. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think they wanted to get caught."

A lone Legionnaire came rumbling past. Crona kept her gun leveled at its head. It kept going, not noticing them. Crona's trigger finger relaxed. "Anything?"

"Got it!" Kain disappeared and Aro stepped back from the terminal. He opened all comms. "We're heading towards the Trenchworks," Aro announced, "We'll need to cut our way through the Iron Line. Everyone rally on us and move in."

The waypoint appeared on Crona's HUD, directing her attention to the entrance of a tunnel behind the base. The stone and metal surrounding the opening had the same dents, torn metal and black scorch marks as other parts of the Rubicon. Kain's theory that Erek and Daniel were making this much of a mess on purpose was starting to make sense.

Leaping over a sandy hill and sliding down, Asura came to a skidding stop before her, spraying her with sand, likely on purpose. "Whole place will be on high alert with that stunt Shino pulled," he said to her, ripping an empty mag out of his gun and tossing it aside.

"Whole place was on high alert before we got here." Crona heard the sound of an engine revving up. Subtly, she saw Asura's head twitch just slightly. Then it corrected, so quickly, she wondered if he had heard it too. "But maybe that will keep them here while we move on the tank."

Another engine rev and the sound of thrusters bursting. Before Crona could turn and face it, Asura's hand went behind his back and pulled a hand cannon from its holster, aiming it in the direction of the sound, even as his eyes remained on her.

"Woah, woah, bud! It's me!" Crona didn't need to turn to recognize Shino's voice in her ear over the thunder of the engine. When she did, she found him with his hands in the air and his backside planted in an Interceptor's pilot seat. Asura snorted but lowered the weapon, slotting it back into its holster. Shino's arms went down.

"Where'd you even get that?" Crona called as Shino revved the engine again.

"The rest of them should be over there." Shino pointed to the left side of the base, hidden beneath the shadow of the walls and stone hanging over it. "But this one? Someone tried to hit me with it."

"They did hit him," Mira chimed in, "Then, they threw it in reverse and hit him again." She clambered up the top of a sandy hill to come into sight.

"Grabbed it on the second one, even with both my legs broken." The pride in his voice made Crona laugh. Mira came sliding down the hill and before she reached the bottom, she jumped. The Interceptor rocked and groaned when she landed on it, Shino grabbing the wheel to keep it stabilized. From where Mira had come, she saw May come into view. Unlike the Hunter, she didn't immediately jump down and join them.

"Catch you all inside," Mira said. At the same time, Shino hit the accelerator, nearly causing Mira to lose her footing and slide off the top. They could hear him laugh and her yelling as the two of them went speeding towards the tunnel entrance. Crona and Asura shared a look. Then, Asura took off towards the back and Crona jogged to follow.

Aro came out from the base, catching Shino and Mira just as they passed him by. The roar of another Interceptor drew his eyes as both Asura and Crona drove up to them. Asura had his eyes down on the vehicle's dash, even as it was still moving. "The Cabal should equip these with horns. All I see are guns. Anyway, get on, Aro. Tank's not gonna blow itself up."

Crona could almost see him blink beneath his helmet. He huffed out a laugh, shaking his head. "I leave you all alone for a minute…" Still, he holstered his firearm and climbed, hanging off the side of the pilot's seat rather than on the front of the engine like Mira before him and when Asura hit the thrusters, he was able to keep his balance rather than nearly go flying off.

It had been a long time since Crona had been in one of these but the controls were simple enough, even if one couldn't read the language. She spotted May sliding down the hill and piloted the Interceptor towards her. "You were late, so you're stuck with me," Crona called, waving her over. "Come on, we should catch up."

"I don't…" May started and paused. Then, she looked towards the tunnel, where Aro, Asura and her own team had disappeared and sighed. Wordlessly, she climbed on, hanging off the driver's seat. Unlike the first two drivers, Crona waited until she was settled before taking off down the path.

They all moved in on the Iron Line, following the long, wide tunnel the Cabal had carved into the side of the mountain likely over a century ago. Daniel's and Erek's handiwork spread even deeper than they thought. Aro even said he could feel some sort of Light permeating the area, meaning Guardians fought here not too long ago.

When Crona and May reached the threshold that separated the tunnel from the Iron Line, they both dismounted, leaving the Interceptor with the others at the entrance. Crona took in the environment as she rejoined her fireteam. A walkway high above their heads, good for snipers but slightly damaged; whoever was up there didn't stay up there for long. Either Erek climbed or Daniel threw something. Or Daniel threw Erek.

Thick, heavy crates littered the area. Good for cover, which they would need soon if their Ghosts were any indication. The Cabal were on their way. Kain assured them no alarm had been tripped, at least not by him. Erek's Ghost on the other hand…

Crona pulled her gun off her back. "You need to talk to your boyfriend when you see him next," she said to Aro. She received a half-hearted laugh as a response and nothing more. Nor would she get more as from the back of the Iron Line, Cabal spilled in like a flood.

No time to run for cover, Crona decided she would create one. Darting to spot between her teammates, she brought up her free arm. It reminded her of Arc lightning, the way energy coursed through her limbs; like cold fire that could peel the skin from her bones if it wanted to. Calling upon the Aegis felt as natural to her now as calling upon her own Light. Despite the pain that had preceded it the first time she learned it had been left with her, it burst forth easily. The shield extended from the skin, through her armor and out into the open air. She put it up just in time to block a slug directed at her head.

"On me," she called to the others. Holstering her weapon, Crona put two arms and all her strength behind the shield. It expanded, spreading past her and past Aro and Asura to her left and right. Gunfire erupted from both of them, their ammunition sliding through the Aegis while returning fire broke against the shield.

While her team remained in place and mowed down any Cabal that approached, Mira's team did not. The three of them had scattered quickly after the battle had begun. Mira herself had noticed the walkway above and had gotten to it before the first Psions could even ready their snipers and take a target. May remained closest to Crona and her team, diving in and out from behind the Aegis whenever too much of the Cabal fire had turned on her. Shino, predictably, threw all caution to the wind. He had taken some height with Mira but only so that he could fall onto the Cabal's heads, dropping right down into the center of the largest group of enemy soldiers that were advancing on their position. Crona could hear Asura and Aro pace their shots, pausing and resuming whenever it seemed he had gotten too far into their line of sight.

A Centurion rose into the air, aiming its rifle down on their heads and at the exact same time, the Aegis began to crackle and fade. Asura Blinked one way, Aro grabbed Crona by the shoulder and Blinked the other. Before she or Aro could right themselves and knock the Centurion back down to earth, Asura used the solid face of a crate as a springboard to push himself into the air. As soon as he deemed himself close enough to the Centurion, Asura Blinked again. He teleported behind and past the Centurion and just as he did, sparks and black smoke spurted from the engine on its armored back. The Centurion lurched forward. Dropping, Asura twisted midair and threw the blade he had used to destroy Cabal's jetpack. It lodged in its armor and exploded, cracking the plate and depressurizing the Centurion's suit. It struck the ground, shuddering for a few seconds more before falling still.

"Where is all that when we're in the Crucible with him?" Crona murmured. Asura landed and shook his head, as if coming out of a daze.

They continued forward, Crona and her team covering the flank while Mira and Shino pushed through, carving their path towards the other side, into the Trenchworks. Shino worked on the massive bay doors blocking their way through while Crona summoned the Aegis again. There were fewer of them than she had expected and they went down easily. As if they were stretched thin, as if they were exhausted.

Behind her, she heard Shino shout that the way was clear, an announcement punctuated by a yelp. Another slug rocket, this time from behind, exploded just above Crona's head. She dared a look back, catching sight of Mira just as she dashed towards a Cabal soldier and jumped, her knife tearing through the restraints of its helmet.

Heat and light suddenly exploded in front of her, sharp and brilliant. She didn't have time to find its source before Aro was pulling on her arm, yelling at her to jump through the bay doors. The bay doors which were already closing again. She let the shield drop and ran. What little was left of the first wave was kept at bay by Aro's Solar grenade. As she dove through the rolling doors, sparks flew from the control pad, a bullet lodged in its center.

Crona hit the ground and rolled to her feet. Bringing her fist high over her head, she struck the ground with a shout. Arc Light exploded from her knuckles. It ran across the ground, tearing through three Legionnaires, leaving nothing but their ashes to be blown away by the desert wind. When she rose to her feet and pulled her gun from her back, the first thing she noticed was…the wind. The other side of the door had led them into another tunnel. This one was shorter and it opened out into the desert.

Crona lowered her weapon. She saw Shino stretching out his arm, Mira cleaning the blood and oil off her knife with Asura beside her, Aro helping May off the floor. And nothing else. She lowered it further and let the tension slide from her body with a sigh. She turned back to look at the door, her eyes tracing up to the ceiling.

"Asura shot them," Sol said, "They want to get through, they'll have to break it down."

"Exactly what they do best. Great." Crona turned back around. Aro was at the tunnel's opening, peering out into the canyon it led to. Her eyes turned down to the corpses at their feet, one in particular Mira had killed. "Sol. Look at this for me." She brought her hand up and let him out.

May leaned against a wall, letting herself breathe during the lull in their fight. She took in the others, checking from afar for any injuries that their Ghosts hadn't gotten to just yet. Crona was examining a Centurion's corpse, Mira talking with Asura and Aro had run ahead towards the opened end of the tunnel, where the Cabal's metal walls ended and the rocky walls of the Valley of the Kings began. If Aro's intel was correct, the tank would be close.

Shino followed, came up beside him. Aro's confusion was well-hidden but evident in the line of his shoulders. It was strange to her too. Shino spends the better part of a year avoiding him like the plague and no, he was constantly near him or at his side. She couldn't begin to guess why. She and Shino barely talked more than was necessary anymore.

May's eyes turned towards Mira, who quickly looked away. Things were only slightly better between the two of them and May wasn't in the mood to push. She wanted to go home. She turned back to Crona, her and her Ghost still over the dead Cabal. May pushed off the wall and walked over, Marie appearing over her shoulder. "Anything interesting?" She squatted down beside her.

The bigger woman shrugged. "Maybe. Never seen these types before. The armor, I mean." May looked down. The dead Cabal had symbols painted all along its back, the armor dark green lined with orange-red the same color as Martian sand. Crona was right. These weren't Siege Dancer Cabal.

"Running through Vanguard records now," The Ghost said to them. "Give me a se-"

An explosion cut him off. Crona shot to her feet, immediately putting herself between it and her Ghost, though both Sol and Marie had already disappeared. Hand already at her gun, May took in as much of the scene at the tunnel's exit as she could. A cloud of dust and black smoke. Twisted metal, exposed wires, broken stone. She saw Mira and Asura running towards the source. After them, she saw Shino running for cover, Aro over his shoulder and he was missing a leg.

May ripped the rifle off her back and turned the safety off, moving behind the two Hunters into the cloud of smoke. She could hear Crona at her flank, see the subtle glow of that strange shield appear in the corner of her vision.

The dust cloud hindered sight but not sound and Cabal footsteps were more obvious than any other. She passed Shino and Aro, behind a wall so that Aro could heal. In the middle of the cloud, May focused her Light into her arm and sent an invisible wave sweeping across the air. The shockwave pushed outwards and the smoke went with it.

It was just as she had heard; more Cabal moving in on their position, a Thresher rising into the sky and escaping over the mountains. Their breather was over. Mira and Asura both snapped out of sight while May hefted her rifle and opened fire. The Cabal ran in, tanking the bullets with their armor, jumping over the bodies of those who fell to continue their charge.

Outside, the Trenchworks were open and bare, a lone guard tower at the center of the small canyon served as fortification between the firebase and the rest of the Valley of the Kings. There was no weaponry she could see upon it. She took cover behind a metal wall to reload and get a proper look but still, she found nothing. Something else sent that first blast. Possibly…

A Legionnaire landed at her side, shaking the ground beneath. It brought its gun into the air and down, striking the empty space where May had been just a heartbeat before. She darted back in before it could correct itself, unleashing a stream of bullets into its body at point blank. She shoved the swaying, dying Cabal away with a blast from her palm, revealing a second one running up on its flank and a third right behind the second.

May was knocked back when it struck her, her rifle clattering out of her grip. The Void filled her hands instead. She thrust both her hands into its torso and let the Light burst. The thick armor twisted and the Legionnaire's charge changed trajectory, kicking it off its feet and flying back, bouncing when it hit the ground before rolling to a stop. The third had its slug rifle leveled at her by the time she turned to face it. But she heard the footsteps, even when she couldn't see what was coming.

Mira appeared behind the Cabal, dropping to her knees in a slide and swiping the Legionnaire across the back of its knee. Pressurized air blew through the opening, along with oil and blood and the Cabal stumbled, nearly dropping its rifle. By the time it corrected itself, May had hers in hand again. It went down hard, oil still leaking from its leg alongside the new mess of holes May had torn into its chest. Still, more were moving in on them. Their lack of fear in the face of loss of death was nearly something to be admired. May reloaded, Mira readied a second knife.

And Aro stepped in. Above their heads, two massive balls of Solar flame fell, enveloping the Cabal, burning them down into ash and burning them still. Aro's outstretched hand squeezed. The flames coating his fingers began to brighten and shimmer and travel along his entire body. Two great wings of flame erupted from his back and May could feel even her own Light hum in response.

Few Cabal remained. Aro pointed a glowing finger at them. "Kill the rest!" he ordered, speaking in a voice that was so unlike what May was used to. She could feel his Light welling beneath her own, overwhelming power that desperately sought release and she would give it. She charged in, saw a second flash from the corner of her eye…

And the ground exploded at her feet. May could feel her Light buckle beneath itself as she was sent flying by the blast. The rumble of the explosion shook boulders loose from the mountainous walls that bordered the valley. It felt like forever but May finally hit the ground. When she did, felt her shoulder get knocked from its socket and bit back a cry.

The world was spinning and covered in dust and smoke. The Cabal she had been charging at lay dead beside her, wearing armor that matched the one that had caught Crona's eye.

May twisted off her back and tried to push to her feet. The sharp pain in her ankle did make her cry out. It had been twisted. She hadn't even felt it in all the commotion. As Marie worked quickly to repair it, there was another flash of light.

This blast struck the opening of the tunnel once again. Massive boulders from the mountain wall were cracked off and fell, landing heavily in front of the entrance and piling up. She heard Shino mumble a curse about their 'lost exit'. May looked up at the tunnel's head and followed the trail of black smoke back across the valley.

The Goliath had earned its name. The only things bigger than it were the mountain walls themselves, the Cabal tank stood higher than the guard tower and dwarfed any of the Guardians themselves. No image or holo could do it justice. May turned her eyes from the tank back to the dead Cabal at her side, killed by friendly fire.

"Those Cabal were only trying to buy this thing time to ready itself," Mira seethed, ripping her dropped knife from the sand. A low humming began to fill the air and the tank's main gun, fixed on them, began to glow.

"Spread out!" Aro quickly orders. His wings had disappeared, his voice had returned to normal. "Stay in pairs and keep apart. It can't focus on all of us."

Most of them were slow to move but by the time the Goliath fired again, they had scattered. May ran forward and dove behind the guard tower. Even from a distance, even through her armor, she could feel the heat of the missile as it passed overhead. It collided with the rock face behind them, spewing chunks of stone larger than before.

Slow to fire, slow to move but devastatingly powerful. A blast like that could kill a Guardian in one shot and break a Ward of Dawn in only a few more. Aro was right, it couldn't focus on all of them. So while others threw everything they had at its heavily armored chassis, someone would need to draw its attention. And its fire.

"Thrusters are its weak points!" Aro shouted over the tank's thundering engine, "Four at the bottom!" He and Shino had taken refuge behind the thick, protruding ridge of the mountain face; less likely to collapse on their heads after one hit. It'd last three at most.

May felt a hand on her shoulder. She didn't need to turn to know who it was. Mira opened comms. "May and I will get in close, force it to focus on us." A risk, May thought, but that had never stopped them before. Otherwise, May never would have made it off the Moon.

And their friend would still be alive.

May silenced the traitorous voice and summoned her Sparrow when it turned its cannons on Asura and Crona, who had taken higher ground on the opposite mountain face. If she and Mira kept to its base, it might prioritize them as easier targets. It would also likely avoid using its heavier weapons on targets so close to itself.

The two of them take off just as the Goliath fires. Asura and Crona jump down towards the guard tower just as the blast strikes the mountain, shears off a chunk and sends it crumbling to the ground. May and Mira race across the sandy expanse, kicking up heavy trails of dust and as they did, the Goliath somehow managed to grow, becoming dauntingly massive. When the smaller launchers on its lower base began to rise and turn on them, May shook herself out of it and pushed her Sparrow to go as fast as it could.

She and Mira split off from each other, taking opposite paths around the Goliath. The smaller guns focused her first and she moved further outwards, establishing a wider radius around the tank while Mira kept in close and further out of its line of sight.

The guns locked on and began to glow. As Mira passed May in their circling, she lobbed something blue and glowing into one of its crevices near the weapons. It exploded as the guns fired, throwing off their aim just before they could destroy May's vehicle. From the Cabal guard tower, a rocket erupts from the opening and rams into the tank's head. The impact and explosion dented and blackened the tank's armor but did nothing significant. The main gun instead began to turn and aim towards the launcher.

The main cannon fired. The missile slammed into the tower, not hard enough to topple it but the impact left the exterior badly burnt and twisted, its metal covers warped and folding inwards. Through the cloud of black smoke, May caught the peek of Asura's hood, behind where the tank had targeted. Moving, meaning he had survived the blast. Hopefully Crona as well. The smaller guns started firing again. Mira, still close to its base, twisted her Sparrow to try and escape its range.

Not quickly enough. The mini-rockets struck the ground just behind Mira's Sparrow and the blast caught the very back of the engine. Mira was thrown off. She hit the ground and was sent tumbling across it, her Sparrow rolling across the ground next to her until it crashed into a tall boulder and exploded, showering Mira with burning metal.

May twisted her Sparrow around and sped towards Mira's position, calling for the others to cover her in any way they could. Marie contacted Mira's Ghost, relayed Khan's assurances that Mira was still alive, that he was repairing her multiple injuries. As she drew closer to her body, so did the tank, bearing down on wounded prey.

When she deemed herself close enough, May jumped off her Sparrow, ran the rest of the way. The tank's mini-launchers turned on them just as she touched Mira's cloak. They fired. She Blinked. The initial impact missed the both of them by a hair. The resulting blasts did not.

May and Mira fly far and land hard, tumbling across the hard, dry ground. Pain shoots through her ankle up the length of her leg. Her Ghost starts repairs immediately, all while informing her that Mira had been killed on their landing.

She didn't wait for Marie to finish her work. May pushed to her feet the best she could and as quickly as she could on a broken ankle and grabbed hold of Mira's body. She Blinked again, this time, managing to get them behind cover; several pillars of red rock that looked like they would take more than one blast before falling.

Khan appeared as soon as Mira's body was behind cover and a few seconds later, Mira jolted back to life. The first thing she did was push herself further back into cover as more mini-rockets kicked up sand and stone around their heads. Above everything else, May began to hear a familiar low hum; the tank's main cannon charging up again.

Mira cursed in pain. She was still holding her ribs. "Think we could outrun it?" She asked.

"Not without Sparrows and both of ours were destroyed." May could feel the heat of the cannon now. Maybe they could run. Or Blink. Hope they could make it out of the blast radius.

The hum reached its peak. Suddenly, a broad, armored figure came sliding around the corner of the rock pillar, a trail of dust behind him.

Shino dug his fingers into the ground to stop his momentum and with a shout, threw his arms out. His Light burst from his skin, expanded until the world surrounding May turned from red to violet. The tank fired, destroying the pillars above their heads. They crumbled and fell, breaking against Shino's Ward.

The light had been blinding. When May brought her hand down from shielding her eyes, they immediately locked onto the tank and Asura coming up behind it. May gaped as she watched the young Hunter jump on top of the tank and slide over the front base while enveloped in Solar Light. Two burning shots tore through the thrusters; one close to him and another on the far side of the tank. Both exploded and just before Asura leapt off the tank, a third explosion took out one of the mini-launchers; a grenade left behind.

When Asura touched the ground, a Sparrow was beneath him. He blasted off, riding hard back towards the guard tower. Shino's shield dropped at the same time and May realized it was time they did the same. Sparrows transmat before them, repaired and ready. They race to rejoin Aro's team. The tank attempted to follow, to track and lock on but the two thrusters Asura took out single-handedly had been necessary for it to turn effectively. By the time it was even able to twist halfway, the three of them were already clear of its remaining smaller launchers.

The heavy cannon was not so hampered. Moving freely, it fired off into the canyon wall just above their heads, sending a cascade of heavy boulders down that May had to maneuver her Sparrow around to avoid. Another blast hit the guard tower and this time, it was brought down with a mighty crash. Belatedly, she hoped no one had been inside.

Her concerns were quickly answered when she spotted Crona and Aro perched in a crevice of the stone wall, seemingly unnoticed by the tank. The light of the sun reflected strangely off Aro. To the point that he almost appeared to be glowing again. No, she realized. He was glowing again and the tank was taking notice. The main cannon twisted onto him and began to glow itself.

Whatever Aro was planning, it was Mira who clued into it the fastest. "Open fire on the tank!" She shouted, "Throw everything! Draw it away from him!"

The storm began before she could even finish. Bullets, Light, anything any of them could lob at the encroaching Goliath, they did. In the detonations, the smoke and the whipped-up sand, the tank was almost obscured entirely. All except for the heavy cannon, whose hum and glow was quickly reaching its peak.

Too quickly. May felt the wind of Shino darting around her, running for the mountain, starting to climb.

Too late. The tank fired. The blast struck rock and destroyed the face of the canyon wall. Asura, Mira and May were nearly rocked off their feet but it was Shino who was sent tumbling back. He righted himself quickly, running to escape the tumbling rocks. When May's ears stopped ringing, her eyes immediately began to search the cloud left in the wake of the attack for some sight of Aro and Crona or their Ghosts.

She need not search long. Aro was still standing, still glowing, even brighter than before. In front of him was Crona, her shield held up. But it doesn't stay so. It faded quickly, unable to keep its form after having just taken a direct hit from the Goliath, the Guardians it protected any worse for the wear.

Crona dropped to her knees, planting her fist on the ground to remain upright. Aro launched himself up and over her head. He leapt off the cliffside, a star flying through the air, drawing every eye towards him. The tank began to charge again.

Void and Solar Light combine and grow between the palms of Aro's hands. He drops the spinning, trembling sphere of energy directly onto the tank's head and the pressure of the Light alone crushes and warps it.

Then, the Bomb detonated. The sheer brightness of the explosion forced May and the others to cover their eyes. The wind kicked up sand and debris, scratching their armor. Even Aro himself was sent hurtling back towards them. He used his Light to slow his momentum and to right himself midair but he still hit the ground hard, rolling until the mountainside stopped him.

The tank's head blew skyward with a thunderous boom. Other parts began to fly off, one by one until the entire core itself went critical. Plumes of fire and smoke blew out of every crevice. May could just barely make out the burning, severed limb of a Cabal, one of the pilots, hurtling through the air.

But then, the noise calmed, though the ringing continued for some time. The lights dimmed and soon, nothing remained before them but fiery ruins.

For what felt like the first time in days, May remembered to breathe. She holstered her gun before it could slip from her aching fingers. "Asura!" she flinched at Crona's sudden bark in her ear. She saw the Titan slide down the stone wall and come to a skidding stop. Then, her hand flung up, pointed at the ruins of the tank and asked, "That…what was that?"

Asura's head followed her hand. Turned back. Looked at the tank again and then back. "I…" He stretched the letter out for a few seconds. "Don't know? Would you believe that?" He tried.

"Stupid," they all heard Spirit mutter, "It was stupid. That's what it was."

"Is it stupid if it works?"

"Yes!"

Crona's arm dropped and she huffed out a tired laugh. She jostled him with a sharp elbow. "Where's this stupid when we need it in the Crucible?"

He rubbed his arm. "Next time we're on opposing teams, you'll find out," Asura retorted and got elbowed again.

May stepped away from the others and asked her Ghost to lower the volume on her comms. She limped more than walked over towards the fallen remains of the guard tower and sat next to it, watching black smoke from the Goliath drift into the air.

"May," she heard as a whisper in her head. May turned as she indicated. Her eyes widened with surprise as she saw Shino with Aro's arm over his shoulder. Belatedly, she realized how quiet he had been since the fight ended and remembered how much such a move had taken out of him. Shino helped Aro sit up against the cliff wall and after a second, sat down next to him, arms resting on his knees. Aro, for the life of him, did not seem to know what to do with himself; uncomfortable, clearly but too exhausted to move away or reject a helping hand.

Footsteps drew May's attention. She turned to look back just as Mira came and sat down in the space next to her, in the shadow of the guard tower. "Thanks," Mira said to her after a moment, so quietly, Marie had to turn the comms up to full again.

May kept her eyes on the tank, the mountains, the sun, anything but Mira or Shino. She shrugged. "Wasn't just me," she replied.

"Sure. It was Shino and Asura too. Though, don't go telling Asura I said that." A small smile could be heard in her voice.

May felt a sigh leave her and just barely, a smile forming on her own lips. "I suppose we make a half-decent team. When it comes down to it."

Mira looked from her towards the others and May followed her eyes. To Aro and Shino, speaking. Holding a conversation that didn't seem unwelcome by either of them. Shino was quiet, the hand movements that often accompanied his speech small and reserved. When Shino's head turned away from him, Aro looked towards the two of them. He gave them both a short nod.

Mira murmured, "Haven't seen them talk like that in a while. Or at all."

May looked at her, her fingers clasped between her knees. "Something we all need to do," she said, "When things are said and done."

"Maybe sooner." With a grunt, Mira pushed herself to stand with a soft grunt. "Before shit hits the fan."

Mira turned and offered a hand. May took it and was pulled to her feet. She did want to talk. She missed small things like this, when there was no doubt that they were there for each other, no matter how much they argued. It was not at all an exaggeration to say that she has never known life without either of them. She didn't want to. Not over something such as this and not when they needed each other now more than ever. From where she stood, Shino seemed to have begun to feel the same. About her, about Aro.

Mira turned slightly. "Aro, we should call it in. Think we've stalled long enough."

Aro didn't respond. "Aro?" Mira turned around completely, as did May. They found Aro standing, turned away from Shino, from everyone else, all of them focusing on him. His head was down, moving slightly. He was talking to someone. May looked to Shino for an explanation. The Titan only shrugged.

As if feeling the eyes on his back, Aro's head rose and he turned towards them. Then, they all heard him say, in a somber tone. "The others should hear this too."

Cayde's voice immediately rang out and May believed this was the most serious she had ever heard him. He asked, "What's the deal with the tank?"

"Located and destroyed," Aro said, "No losses on our side."

"Day's still young," they heard him mutter, "Turns out, you destroying the Goliath was the final straw. Especially after the last two hits on their forces, done by people you all know well. Either way, scouts near the King's Gate and the Cabal's main firebase report mass mobilization and I mean mass."

The Valley wasn't too far from their position. "Are they moving on the King's Gate?" May asked.

"Sure as hell seems like it! But our concern isn't just the army, it's the guy leading it," he said to them. "Congratulations, Guardians. You guys managed to do what we've been unable to do for years. Valus Ta'aurc is leading the charge himself."

May's breathing deepened. Aro's voice lowered when he spoke again. "The Valus? Are you sure?"

"More than I want to be." Cayde sighed heavily. "Look, you all, we can't confirm anything yet. Worse than that, we don't have time to. If the Cabal move on the King's Gate with the Valus at their head, they will destroy it. No doubt about it."

Aro, whose eyes were on the ground again, deep in thought, turned them up. Looked at each of them, his team, Mira's. Then, he asked, in a low, quiet voice, "And if we cut off the head?"

Silence passed on the comms for some time. "We were thinking you all could just slow them down but…"

Aro breathed. "We'll do it," he said. Quietly, as if he wasn't sure it was him saying the words. "We'll find the Valus and…we'll see that he doesn't leave that land tank."

The apprehension was palpable among them all. Still, no one speaks a word against his decision. May herself feels some sort of dread start to needle its way into her stomach. To her side, she could make out the tension in Shino's arms, even through his armor.

"I'll have the scouts blow up a thing or two, create a distraction near Cerberus Vae's entrance," Cayde told them, "Sneak in when you can. You're dealing with the full might of the Cabal's forces in this region. If you can get to him before he leaves the land tank, you won't have to contend with his entire army." Another sigh over comms. "Go careful, you guys. Any of you die and I'm killing you myself." Radios went silent after that.

"The Cabal we first met, when we made it into the Trenchworks," Sol said quietly, "I ran their armor through our databases. Dust Giants. The Valus' personal guards." Crona's eyes turned towards the tank, as did all the others. "Seems they've had an eye on us the entire time."

The Valus' personal guard and then his tank. No wonder he was moving in himself. And May thought this mission would be simple. There was nothing hindsight did better than to make one feel foolish.

'Sooner, rather than later', they had agreed. Just a little while longer then.

School's getting harder and as a result, so is keeping a good time on my uploads. But I promised I'd finish this series and I fully plan to. I just ask for patience because these long waits usually mean that I have a lot to put together and not as much free time to do it. I'm already starting on the next one.