The Queen of Hearts

Chapter 2: The Crew

Talia braced herself as she was beamed via transmat from her ship to the ground. Her feet hit the tarmac with a light thud and she turned to the sky to see her ship hovering there. "Take her home, Reeki," she said.

A ghost materialized next to her. He had a standard generalist shell, but was painted all black with a golden trim. His eye seemed to glitch as he spoke. "R-r-right away."

She watched her ship jettison back to the Tower, quickly becoming just a spec in the distance. She patted Reeki's shell in the air, then turned to get a good look at her surroundings. She stood in the middle of an airfield that seemed to have been abandoned for a century. There were machine parts strewn about, as well as husks of old jumpships that could no longer fly. To the untrained eye, it was like a mechanical graveyard, but Talia knew better. She had heard of this place; the yard where Hunters gathered to plan jobs away from the Vanguard's eyes. There was just one problem, however.

"Where is that pain-in-the-ass exo?"

Suddenly a hiss sounded nearby from a large, weathered transport ship as the boarding ramp lowered from its backside. The sound surprised Talia. The vessel looked so worn down she assumed it was scrap just like the rest. When the ramp hit the ground, Cayde-6 strolled out with hands on his hips, looking proud as ever. "There she is!" he exclaimed, outstretching his arms.

Talia shook her head and reached up to unseal her helmet. It was a beautifully crafted piece of armor, elegantly shaped by an Awoken smithy to fit her and ornamented with thin glowing eyes like an ethereal bird of prey. She didn't normally wear a helmet, but this particular job warranted extra protection. There was a rush of air as she removed it and held it to her waist. Her purple eyes darted between Cayde and the ship, concerned. "Don't tell me we're taking that heap of junk."

"Hey!" Cayde said defensively, "ole Bessy here is the most reliable transport available! I know she doesn't look like much, but I outfitted her myself. She'll get the job done."

"Your hand in this is what worries me. I recall a time when you swore up and down about a certain cloaking device and ended up getting both of us caught."

The exo rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "Yeah… I'm sorry about that. But this is different! I've tested it in the field myself without any problems!"

"No problems at all?"

"Well, some hiccups here and there, but I fixed 'em, not to worry."

Talia rubbed her eyes in annoyance. Some things would never change, it seemed, but she had worked with worse. "Fine. I'd like to get started. Where's Shiro and the others?"

"Oh they should be arriving right about- Ah! Speak of the Devils." He pointed up at the sky where a sleek, red jumpship was descending quickly towards the airfield. It rocketed by overhead, dropping a transmat in the open space just behind Talia. She turned to see two men and a woman materialize. The first was an exo hunter with a yellow face and cloak to match. Shiro-4 walked confidently with his Trespasser sidearm attached to his hip where everyone could see.

Behind him, a human warlock in brown travel robes strapped with pockets full of various trinkets followed closely behind, deep in a heavy research book that he levitated before him with void energy. He read it carefully through a pair of large spectacles beneath a mop of curly brown hair, not even bothering to glance at Talia or Cayde until he nearly tripped over a discarded machine part. He stumbled, annoyed, then returned to his book.

Trailing them both was the largest woman Talia had ever seen. She walked like a giant, making large, purposeful strides in a set of thick, intimidating armor. An enormous two-handed war hammer clanked on her back as she went. The woman was clearly a Titan, but not like any Talia had seen in the Last City. The burnt orange paint over the black matte of her armor seemed to radiate with a warm, yet dangerous glow. As she neared, the woman removed her helmet, and Talia's jaw dropped. The Titan's face was just as fearsome and beautiful as her armor, with pointed features and the straightest, blackest hair.

Talia leaned over to Cayde. "Who are those other two? I thought you only used Hunters on your jobs."

"Hunters are valuable assets," he said, "but sometimes it is better to have variety in the skills of your team. These folks bring some very unique skills to the table. Come on, I'll introduce you."

He led her to meet Shiro and the two exo Hunters clasped hands. "Shiro! Glad you're here. Always so punctual for a Hunter."

"Well I'd hate to be an unreliable member of the crew."

Cayde squinted.

Shiro squinted back.

Then the two broke into laughter and patted each other on the back. Cayde stepped away and gestured for Talia to join him. "Shiro, I have secured us an expert archer, as promised. This is Talia."

Shiro raised an eyebrow at her. "Talia… is this the same Talia that-"

"Okay!" Cayde cut in. "Shiro, we agreed to keep this arrangement professional, so I would prefer a professional greeting!"

Shiro looked to him and then to her, then shrugged, holding out his hand. "Pleasure to meet you. I'm Shiro-4, the official scout for this job."

Talia also looked between Cayde and Shiro before taking his hand for a firm shake. "Good to meet you too. Your reputation precedes you."

"I appreciate that. I look forward to working together."

Talia leaned over to Cayde. "So respectful, I like him."

The exo chuckled lightly in response, followed by a furrowing of his mechanical forehead.

She grinned at that and let go of Shiro's hand. "So, who are your friends?"

"Ah yes," said Shiro. He placed a hand on the Warlock's shoulder, who flinched and jolted upright, annoyed that his concentration was broken. "This is Torres. He's a… researcher," Shiro paused on the last word, as if he wasn't sure that was true. "Been begging us to come on one of our Fallen-centric jobs for ages now. Something about cataloging the difference in physiological behaviors between Captains and Dregs?"

"Actually," Torres cut in, "I am- Oh, well, yes. That is correct Shiro, thank you. Normally no one bothers to remember the terminology and I have to explain it three times over. How refreshing."

"You're welcome. Sorry for the interruption, you can return to your book."

Torres nodded affirmatively and walked on towards the ship right past Cayde. The exo watched him go with a raised metal brow. "You know, I'm still not sure about that one."

Shiro just shrugged and moved on, leading Talia to the towering woman. "This is Vespa Turai. She's uh, how do I put this?"

"A Sunbreaker," Vespa cut in. "No point in hiding it, she'll see me in action sooner or later."

Talia gasped. Sunbreakers recently had a falling out with the Vanguard and were no longer welcome in the Last City. Not to mention their reputation for love of compensation. She spoke carefully, knowing full well this wall of a woman could crush her in an instant. "I mean you no offense, lady Turai, but… I heard the Sunbreakers were selfish mercenaries. Are you being paid for this venture?"

The Titan huffed, amused. "Just Vespa is fine. Is that what they say about us these days? Well, they're half right. In a way we are mercenaries. Our good friend Cayde here has promised payment in exchange for my services."

Talia turned back to Cayde, frowning.

"But," Vespa continued, "do not misunderstand the situation. While some Sunbreakers work for glimmer and lose themselves to greed, I take… a different form of payment."

Cayde walked forward and placed a reassuring hand on Talia's shoulder. "I've promised her spoils from the battlefield. A trophy from worthy adversaries, as she put it."

The Titan grinned. "This is the honorable way to do it, I've found. As a Titan I still wish to stand tall against the enemies of humanity. But I do it independently, without a governing body to tell me when I can't. Is this acceptable to you?"

Talia slowly nodded. "For now, it is, but I will hold you to this at the end of the job."

Vespa raised an eyebrow, still grinning. "Fair enough. Not the trusting type, huh?"

Talia shook her head, then jabbed a thumb in Cayde's direction. "I still haven't fully decided if I trust him yet."

"Hey!" said Cayde, folding his arms.

Vespa seemed to enjoy that, then nudged Cayde as she also made her way to the transport. "I like her," she told him, then walked on.

Cayde huffed. "Glad everyone likes everybody," he said under his breath. Then he marched straight to Shiro. "This is all well and good, but I can't help noticing we are a crew member short. Where is Nyx?"

Shiro glanced at Talia, as if this were confidential information, but he responded anyway. "He backed out at the last second. Seemed unusually cold when he told me. Cayde, I could be wrong but… I think Kauko got to him. This has his mind-swaying charm written all over it."

Cayde frowned and his eyes seemed to dim. "Just like Andal's situation. You may be right. Kauko's been cracking down on unofficial operations lately. I think his fancy new Vanguard position is starting to make him responsible. That damn sellout!" The exo suddenly kicked a malformed ship part in fury, sending it clattering across the tarmac.

Talia recoiled, her eyes fixed on him. She had never seen a flare of anger from him like this before. He could be cocky, annoyed, even somewhat jealous, but anger was new.

Cayde whipped back to Shiro. "What are our chances? Can we do this with a crew of five?"

Shiro sadly shook his head. "The Fallen will be more prepared this time. We need the extra firepower."

Cayde cursed under his breath and began to pace furiously. "Where the hell are we going to find another combat specialist on such short notice?"

Talia found herself raising her hand before she even finished the thought.

Shiro raised his brow at her. "Talia?"

Cayde stopped, looking back at her curiously.

"I know a guy," she said. "A veteran from the early City days. He usually keeps to himself, but he might help us if I ask nicely."

A wave of relief seemed to wash over Cayde. "Sounds like he has the experience we need. Where can we find this old-timer?"

Talia grinned. "He doesn't like to be found, but I know where to start looking."