Chapter 8: Ferryman: Alison, Queen's Voice.
-Cabal Exclusion Zone, Mars-
The clanging of metal on metal rang throughout the desert wasteland of the Cabal Exclusion Zone, the sound of fists hitting against pressure armor being the only thing that could be heard for miles as a ghost took cover behind a rock and examined the scene before him.
Two Titan gloved, arc light laced hands caught two Cabal sized fists as the Exo Titan Lopez and the Cabal Valus Val'Kaulr were locked in a fierce pushing match, their feet digging into the ground and creating trenches from the force of their equal and opposite force–Newton's 2nd law in action.
"Idiota no eres rival para mi, Lopez el Pasado!" The Exo growled in Spanish, much to the annoyance of Valus who couldn't understand a goddamn thing he was saying.
"Speake sense, creature!" The Valus exclaimed in frustration. The only response he got was the Exo rearing his head all the way back and lurching forward and giving him a headbutt–a headbutt so strong that it caved in the cabal's helmet and caused his suit to depressurize.
The creature groaned like a breaking piece of metal as he fell to the ground with a deafening thud, like a felled tree.
"Impressive." Gamma commented as Lopez looked over the dead Cabal to see if there was anything worth salvaging. "I'd take this. It could be useful." He told the Exo, nodding to the giant slug cannon lying on the ground.
The Exo looked it over before nodding and picking it up, checking the clip before putting it back and chambering a round.
"We should go before more Cabal come, or another sandstorm blows through." Gamma told his Guardian, getting a silent nod as they ran.
(Elsewhere)
Meanwhile, in space, Noble was now in his Prowler with his Eliksni lover Aphrodityss on a course for the Reef at the halfway point of the System.
"So, did you get in touch with your people before we left?" Noble asked as he looked forward at the slipspace tunnel they were traveling through.
"I did, and there's been an unexpected development regarding the New Light found there." The Eliksni woman nodded in reply. "They say it's best we see for ourselves." She added.
"Well, this'll be fun then." The Spartan grunted as they exited slipspace and started flying through the asteroids and debris. "Hm… Funny. I don't remember the asteroid belt being like this." He hummed as he carefully navigated the Prowler through the field.
"A fragmented memory?" Aphrodityss asked.
"Yep, and pretty fragmented. Can't tell if I'm confusing this with the asteroid belt of another solar system or not." Noble nodded in reply as he continued flying the ship.
However, as the ship went, what looked like debris suddenly sprang to life and started chasing them.
"Attention Guardian ship, you are trespassing in the realm of the Awoken." One of the two apparent ships stated. "State your business or you will be fired on by order of the queen." She added.
Noble looked at Tex for advise, who shrugged, then his Ghost.
"Don't look at me." Epsilon stated.
Sighing, he responded. "This is Noble, Guardian #011127. We're here to retrieve a new Light that has been rezzed here, as well as some marooned Eliksni allies." He told them.
"... The Queen has heard what you said, and wishes to speak with you in person." One of the Awoken fighters told him. "Follow my trajectory, any deviation will be seen as an act of aggression." She added before directing him to a deceptively functional docking bay.
"Looks like we're in the right place." Tex noted.
"Why is the right place always so terrifying?" Epsilon questioned with a shiver.
(A short while later)
Noble and his Eliksni lover were led to what looked like a throne room, a pair of Awoken Corsairs flanking them. There was another Awoken there male there with amber colored eyes, dressed in what could be mistaken for Hunter clothes… Oh, and he looked like an edgelord.
"So, these are the trespassers demanding an audience." He sneered at them before taking stock of the fact that a Guardian seemed to be on good terms with an Eliksni. "Strange, I thought you Guardians weren't fans of the Eliksni." He mused.
"She's been with me since I was brought back on Reach. She's done right by me." Noble shrugged, not really caring about the barb this Awoken threw his way initially.
"Reach? That's rather far from here." The Awoken hummed. "Not as strange as you just picking a random Eliksni." He added.
"Oh, but am I random, Uldren?" The Eliksni woman remarked, causing the now named Uldren to squint his eyes at her before recognition covered his face.
"Aphrodityss? I thought you died when you vanished." He blinked before shaking his head. "Regardless, my sister will be here with the New Light you spoke of momentarily." He continued. "And mind the House of Wolves. They're still angry at you for what you did to Skolas." He added further, looking at the Houseless Eliksni for that last one.
"Don't start, the egg-sucker had it coming." The former clutch-mother spat back, lower hands on her hips right as two House of Wolves Vandals dropped from the ceiling.
"And they better not try anything." Noble added, sending the two Vandals a glare that told them to not even think about stepping closer. Though angry at seeing a traitor to their house, the two Vandals didn't even try anything.
"Don't worry about that." The voice of Mara Sov said as she entered the throne room, followed by the very New Light they came to the Reef for. "They know their place." She added, sitting on the throne with Alison to her right.
"Epsilon!" Kappa gasped as the Ghost of Sadness rushed past his Guardian and went straight towards his older sibling, nearly crashing into Epsilon in the process.
"H-Hey Kappa. Whoa, hey, take it easy, I just got this new shell." The Ghost of Memory told his youngest sibling.
"Another one of your siblings?" Noble asked.
"Yep. This is Kappa, the Ghost of Sadness." The memory Ghost replied. "Poor fella gets sad easily. Be gentle with him." He added.
"He shouldn't be the Ghost of Sadness. He should be the Ghost of Joy." Aphrodityss cooed gently as she gently rubbed Kappa's shell, which he leaned into.
"That's what I keep saying to him, too." Alison commented with a chuckle, bowing as she stepped away from Mara and approached the group. "Hell, when he brought me back, I adopted him as my son." She added.
"Well that's certainly new." Noble mused before the queen snapped her fingers, getting their attention.
"As you may have been able to ascertain, this is the lightbearer you've been seeking." The woman told them, gesturing to Alison and prompting the duo to get a good look at what the Guardian before them looked like.
Her face showed that she had some glowing skin that was white in color–almost as white as the Traveler–with lilac colored face paint on her forehead to her nose save for six white dots on her brow, she also had charcoal gray hair that was in a bob cut, bright iridescent sea green eyes, and a pair of voluptuous lips that were painted dark indigo.
She was a leathe figure as well, an athletic build that had an hourglass shape to it, giving her a pair of wide hips, a slender waist, a peach shaped ass, and a E-cup rack, all supported by a feline curved back, toned and flat stomach, slender arms and strong but curvaceous legs that were long as well.
Attire wise, she was garbed in a Corsair uniform modified for Hunters. She even had an Awoken auto rifle strapped to her back.
"And your name is?" Noble prompted as he looked at Alison.
"Alison." The woman told him.
"She has been made one of my Corsairs." Mara told them. "Your City may have her, but she will remain loyal to the Reef as is her duty." She added.
"I'll be sure to send a report to the Vanguard about this, then." Noble nodded. "Also, we still have to pick up those Eliksni allies." He added.
"My Queen's Wrath will accompany you to the Tangled Shore where your allies are being held." The queen told him, though she lingered her gaze on him for a moment, before turning to look away. "Your expression betrays you, Titan. What else is it you wish to ask?" She questioned.
Although his lover and Ghost were both surprised that the Queen was able to read them that easily, Noble seemed unphased.
"... We also need a way to enter the Black Garden." Noble replied after a moment of pause.
"Do you?" Uldren hummed. "We can show you the way, but we will need the head of a Vex Gate Lord. Something I doubt you have." He continued.
"Don't have, but can easily get." Tex mused as she leaned into her lover's ear. "I know a few places where we can find a Gate Lord, or a dismantled one or two. I'll tell you once we're back on the ship." She purred to him, her mandibled words tickling his ears like the singing of a canary.
"As usual, Aphrodityss, your manners are just as unsettling as that unusual body of yours." Uldren jeered, clearly not a fan of being ignored.
"Blow out your ass, two-face." The Eliksni woman retorted, eyes narrowed.
"Let's just go." Noble sighed as he turned to leave, his Eliksni paramour following suit.
(Later)
-Prison of Elders, Tangled Shore, The Reef-
Noble glanced around as he was led down a cellblock by an Awoken woman with violet-red colored hair (which he silently thought was a really nice combo), blue skin and glowing blue eyes, though one was covered by an eyepatch. She was also wearing a modified Corsair uniform.
Alison had also tagged along as well.
"Petra Venj." The former clutch-mother greeted the Queen's Wrath as the woman tossed her knife in her hand. "You're looking curvier than usual." She noted, upper hands on her own curvaceous hips while her lower arms were crossed under her buxom chest.
"Well, I was working out a good bit lately." Petra shrugged as they walked, unphased by the veiled barb by the Eliksni woman. "Where'd you find the Titan, by the way?" She asked idly.
"Planet Reach, real far out." Noble replied. "I was just about to hop in my Prowler when she showed up." He added.
"Saved your hide is more like it." Tex corrected.
"Oh hush." Noble huffed, though he did have a small smirk on his face under his helmet. His Eliksni lover merely giggled at his response, and for some reason, the sound of her giggling made his heart skip a couple of beats.
"Lovers?" Petra asked Alison, who shrugged as the two returned to the conversation at hand. "Queen Mara told me you're here to retrieve some Eliksni contacts. Do you have their names?" She questioned.
"Yeah, there's four of them." Aphrodityss nodded. "Heilox the Fire-Eater, Brokk the Forgemaster, Sparriks Pike-Stealer, and Eros the Loved." She listed, counting on her hands.
"... I didn't expect it to be them." Petra sighed.
"The last one doesn't sound so bad." Noble commented.
"You'll think otherwise once the female Guardians get a good look at him." His lover told him as they made their way into the prison.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Epsilon questioned as they slid down a tube.
"Trust me, you'll find out." The Eliksni woman replied as they landed at the bottom of the tube, where Petra motioned for them to stop. In front of them were four cryopods.
"These are their pods. I'll wake them up." Petra told the group as she walked over to a terminal and put in the wake up command, only for it to be rejected. "Damn, locked out. Must be an arena match going on." The Queen's Wrath cursed when she couldn't get in.
Seconds later, an Eliksni suddenly transmatted in front of them. One that had a mechanical arm, a staff, and what looked to be chainmail clothing. "Petra, such a surprise. I gather that you wish to release four prisoners, yes?" He questioned, causing Tex to bristle.
"Variks…" She hissed.
"Hm?" The Scribe of House Judgement hummed, turning to the Houseless Eliksni. "Ah, Aphrodityss, Betrayer of Skolas. What brings you here, I wonder?" He chittered.
"Don't get chummy with me, worm, we're not on speaking terms." The woman snapped. "What's this about an arena match?" She questioned.
"Yes, Prison is in lockdown until it is over." The older Eliksni nodded.
"Who's fighting?" Noble questioned as they were led outside where prisoners all watched the fights in cages.
The combatants in question were a giant Cabal centurion and a comparatively smaller female Eliksni, one who had an eyepatch over her left two eyes. She wielded what looked to be a simple spear, and Tex recognized her.
"Oh. It's her." The Eliksni woman spat venomously, which Noble picked up.
"Why? Who's that Eliksni down there?" The Spartan asked.
"Eramis, the Shipstealer, my mother…!" She hissed angrily.
"You don't seem too happy to see her." Epsilon noted.
"That's because she abandoned me!" The former Clutch-mother of House Wolves growled, clenching her fists as Kappa nuzzled her to calm her.
"You can explain why she did that when we're back at the City if you feel like it." Noble told her curtly, his opinion of Eramis already plummeting into a negative one.
"Thanks for not demanding it immediately. That's a particularly sensitive wound I don't like to open up." Tex sighed as she calmed down, rubbing Kappa's shell.
(Later)
The match ended soon after, allowing the two to collect their four passengers and head back to the City with Alison in tow with her own ship.
The four Eliksni were all as large as Captains, save perhaps Eros who was closer to the size of a Baron like Tex.
Heilox was an Eliksni formerly of the house of Kings who had been a Sacred Splicer before he defected, his armor was similar to that of an archon with purple and gold running along his body with rigid Sol Fire.
Brokk was a stocky built Eliksni formerly of the forgotten House Stone from the time of the Whirlwind. Despite being the same size as a captain in terms of girth, he was by far the shortest with the height of a large Dreg or Wretch.
Sparriks, meanwhile, used to call house Wolves his home. He wore the garb of an Eliksni pirate with two sabers at his sides and four pistols on him–one of his lower eyes being covered by an eye patch, and a human tri corner sailor hat on his head.
He apparently had a bit of interest in humanity's pirate era.
Eros, meanwhile… he was essentially Aphrodityss' gender bend, for lack of a better term. He was once of House Wolves, but didn't like the treatment his clutch sister was getting, so he left when she did. He was physically sculpted like an Eliksni adonis, and was wearing his equivalent of Baron armor.
"I didn't expect you to pick us up when you did." Heilox remarked as he sat in a passenger seat in the Prowler as they headed to the City.
"Well I couldn't just let you stay there to rot in that prison, now could I?" Aphrodityss responded.
"Well, it's good to be out." Sparriks sighed. "But what exactly are we gonna do once we reach the City?" He questioned.
"Anything that could help make life easier." Noble told him in reply. "Don't worry, as long as you pull your own weight, you should be fine around the City." He added.
"I think I can give the ladies a good amount of encouragement." Eros said in a smooth tone that would make any woman weak in the knees.
"I think I'm starting to see what you meant…" Noble muttered to his Eliksni lover flatly, who nodded in agreement even as they dropped out of slipspace and flew to the Tower.
ThermalsniperN7: Sorry for the long wait. This was gonna be Doc's chapter, but then we hit writer's block so hard that there was a change of plans. Anyway, it looks like Lopez isn't in any real danger, which was kinda expected since he IS the danger here.
Dragon Emperor0: Dude was able to go toe to toe with Agent Texas on multiple occasions and Texas was able to defeat all of the Reds and Blues–except Caboose–on her own. So a lone Cabal–even if it is Valus–is basically no match for Lopez the Mutha Fukin' Heavy.
ThermalsniperN7: Damn right. Also, the way Alison was described last time around was brief, so we decided to clear it up. And yes, she's been recruited by Mara. Where Petra is the Queen's Wrath, Alison is the Queen's Voice. And then there's the bombshell Aphrodityss dropped… You people better remember this, cuz it'll have importance much later.
Dragon Emperor0: Seasons of the Splicer and the Plunder in particular. Speaking of which, yes, one of Tex's friends is a sacred Splicer–and keep an eye on Brokk, he'll be important when Rise of Iron comes around.
ThermalsniperN7: Indeed he will. He'll be an asset when that time comes. And then there's Eros… He'll make every woman that isn't his clutch sister weak in the knees cuz, surprise surprise, he's a romantic soul like Tucker.
Dragon Emperor0: Only he has way more game. Sorry, not sorry Tucker. Anyway, see you next time.
