This story just sort of happened and I ran with it. So as usual, here, have this.

Reviews and criticism are welcome.

Disclaimer: I don't own Destiny.

Death of a Warlord

Jennifer Wild had been nervous about approaching the Vanguard with this trivial matter. They were still cleaning up after the fall of the Witness, and here, Jen was researching ancient history. Who had time for that, when history was being made in front of their eyes. So she was pleasantly surprised when she was given the clear to enter the Tower 2.0 as the Guardians called it. It was a part of the wall co-opted for Vanguard Operations while the old tower was being rebuilt. Sure, it was taking a long time, she noted. She noted hardly any guardians were here at the moment. In the past when she visited there were usually few running about. Today there weren't too many.

She cautiously avoided a massive Cabal warrior near Banshee's kiosk as she strode by. The warrior did not notice her. She was relieved and tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear as she walked past the Cabal. The beast stood there stock still. Jen didn't care about some alliance of convenience. Which was over now that the Witness was dead. The human hoped the cursed aliens would leave and go die to take their homeworld back from the hive sooner rather than later.

She kept her distance in any event. She passed a four armed Eliskni. Their presence couldn't be helped as they were stuck here. Jen didn't like them either, but at least they weren't trying to kill her or in the former's case waiting to enslave her. Anymore at least.

Jen decided to focus on her little mission at the moment. She walked along, a datapad in hand. She looked down at the old record she had found. It was an excuse to get out of the library at least. An urge brought about because of something she wanted to solve before she was no longer able. Before the next crysis ended her life like it did Freddy's and her Mother's. She clamped down on the thoughts of her deceased husband. The Red War was still fresh in her mind, despite the time that had passed.

Soon she arrived at her source of information. Warlord Shaxx. Lord Shaxx to those who didn't know. The last of his kind. Supposedly. His white and black accented armor gleamed in the sun.

The Hero of Twilight Gap was tall and imposing. His horned helmet only added to his already impressive stature.

He was speaking to some New Lights near the trophy skull of the Ahamkara he took during the great hunt. He was half shouting at the newly risen Guardians about their poor performance in the Crucible. He showed them the monitors of their performance. Some weren't paying too much attention, seeming more interested in the dragon skull that hung above the Warlord. He eventually dismissed them. They ran off in an attempt to do better. Many New Lights had been seen around the tower recently. From all over the Earth it seemed. The Guardians needed the numbers after the Red War devastated their ranks.

Jen took the chance to pipe up and step forward.

"Lord Shaxx. My name is Jennifer Wild. I work in the Archives. May I have a moment of your time. I want to ask you a few questions for my research." She said, trying to be forthright. Titan's liked that. The Titan stared down at her for a moment before nodding.

"About your past." She continued. "I was researching the Warlords of the Dark Age and I wanted a source who knew them. Stood in their company so to speak."

"I did not cavort with such fowl Risen!" There was clear offense in the voice. He waved her off, "Be gone." His patience tested enough.

"Wait, I didn't mean to imply…" She straightened and delivered her question openly. "I just want information on the Warlord Iona."

Shaxx stopped, didn't outright freeze, but he showed a visible surprise as if trying to recall old memories and turned back from his crucible monitors.

"How do you come by that name?" He said seriously.

She could feel the intensity of his gaze even from under his helm.

She stammered out, "Lady Skorri wrote of her. It was an unfinished piece never sung. I deduced she was waiting for their second duel. It never came to be as Iona disappeared from the records and Skorri herself died her final death in the Plaguelands."

Shaxx was quiet. For a time as he looked out upon the city. He finally spoke.

"Iona called herself a Steel Queen in mockery of the Iron Lords." Shaxx chuckled. "Her folly was in trusting in the Warlords as the Iron Lords trusted their own. A fox trying to herd a band of coyotes will only fall victim to the Band's appetite."

Jen was quick to jot this down. She stopped writing and looked back up.

"That's it?"

"That is all I care to give on the subject. I am rather busy as you can see." The Titan turned back to watch the monitors, watching the triumphs and follies of the guardians in the Crucible.

As Jen turned to leave. She muttered under her breath, wishing she could find the answers she sought. Shaxx stopped what he was doing, briefly still for a moment, before calling back to her, still not looking away from his monitors.

"If you want more on the subject, seek out the Hunter known as Brand." She was about to thank him, but Shaxx had hit a button and was shouting through the comms about some kill streak as if he hadn't even offered the information.

Jen shrugged and left to go trek over to the Ship Docking bay to find the Hunter Vanguard, Crow. She ended up nearly running into another guardian when she was about to pass the Guardians' Vaults. Another Titan. This guardian wore beautiful white armor engraved with wolves dancing and fighting through the leaves of branches of an Ironwood tree with a grayish silver undersuit. The knightly helm with a silver plume finished off the ensemble tucked under her arm. Her skin was pale and her hair was a bright natural red. Intense blue eyes looked out from her beautiful face, highlighted by a smattering of freckles.. Iron Companion Armor. A stray thought said in her head. A whisper of her deceased husband. He didn't pay much attention to Crucible unless it was Iron Banner. He often said not many guardians wore that set anymore. Perhaps the 'bitchin' helmet," (his words), but not the full set. Also hers seemed modified. There was a silvered fur collar around her neck and shoulders from some animal or faux fur perhaps.

Well there was only one notable Guardian who still insisted on wearing the semi-out of fashion armor. Thee Guardian. The one called the Young Wolf. Jen was struck speechless. She knew this woman. Everyone knew of this guardian. This was the one to strike down the greatest threats to humanity ever known. The Black Heart, Atheon, Crota, Skolas, Oryx, Aksis, Ghaul, Penoptopes, Xol, The Scorn and the Rogue Prince, Eramis, Humbler of Savathun, Slayer of Calus, Nezarac, Rull, and the Witness. The last name brought about an existential terror remembering the voices and the stillness of the brief moment when she and the rest of the universe was trapped in the grip of the Final Shape. Perhaps that was why she was venturing out of the library. That thought of being trapped there, frozen still haunted her. It was a part of the reason anyway. The other was a family mystery and obligation.

"Oh, sorry, I almost ran into you," The Guardian said awkwardly. Her voice was light, but there was a gruff edge to it and a tiredness behind her eyes. She had seen much. Despite her title of the Young Wolf. Jen had heard some of the New Lights called her the Grizzled Wolf behind her back.

Her Ghost popped up over her shoulder. He said nothing and just stared at her. Jen found she liked Ghosts. There were a couple that worked in the Library. A ghost named Jacques liked working there and stated that he was taking a break from searching for his guardian to enjoy life a bit. The urge was still there, but he was resisting for a time.

"I should have paid more attention." Jen laughed nervously, "By all means, I'll get out of your way. Least I can do after you saved us all." She said, kicking herself for acting like a damn school girl.

The Titan nodded, "It was a team effort." It was a modest answer, and an uneasy one. The Iron Lady walked by giving her a quick wave. Her Ghost asked what that was about and the Titan simply shrugged.

Jen left as soon as she could. Embarrassed at how she acted in front of the Young Wolf herself. She banished the encounter from her mind. She had to find the Hunter Shaxx mentioned. Brand was it? Yes, that was it. She wouldn't let her hero worship get in the way of her mission.

She found Crow, the Hunter Vanguard in the docking bay at Amanda's old office. Why couldn't all the Vanguard work from a single table again? Why did she have to leg it all over the damn wall? It wasn't that she wasn't in shape, it just seemed so inconvenient and impractical.

Crow stood next to the memorial of Amanda Holiday. Jen heard they were close before Amanda died in the line of duty. The Hunter Vanguard stood looking over reports on an old work station.

"Crow?" She asked.

The Awoken Prince turned his head. She wasn't sure of his royal status to be honest.

"Yes, how can I help you?"

"I wish to question one of your hunters on a particular historical subject. I was told their name was Brand." Jen came out with it.

The Hunter Vanguard stopped, and thought. "Oh remember that name. One of her reports crossed my desk a while back." He picked up a datapad and shuffled through. Brand was in the EDC last I heard. Deverin Kay mentioned she was scouting, but Cayde had unofficial side notes in his reports about each of his hunters. For someone who hated paperwork, Cayde was still very thorough." His eyes widened and he got a nervous look on his face." It seems Brand is better left out of the city. She wouldn't take well to the non-human presence. It is also noted she was friends with Lysander. I generally encourage my Hunter's to socialize more, but Brand is better left "scouting." He made air quotes.

"I see," she wasn't so sure. A Concordant Guardian wasn't what she had in mind for a source when she started this search for answers. Then again she was researching a Dark Age Warlord so perhaps some of the Concordant idolized those Tyrants. Now that she thought about it, she couldn't actually remember much about the faction. So much was scrubbed about them, even in the Library. It was more odd that this Guardian was open about their affiliation with a group that tried to take over the Last City and overthrow the Speaker more than anything.

"If you want I can recall her, but it will take some time." Crow said. His offer was genuine, but Jen could tell he was hesitant.

"Then I will meet her in the EDC. Tell me her last location in the area and I will go there on my own."

Crow got a look in his eyes and thought about it. He was considering it. Jen did her best to look confident. What was she doing? Leaving the city. Even with Earth being more stable than normal, it was still a dangerous place. "I'll send word to her ghost to meet you in Trostland. Do as Deverim Kay says until Brand shows up."

She nodded, still unsure of herself. Jen ended up traveling to the EDZ in a ship with a One Lifer escort. The man was in a flight suit so she couldn't see his face. One Lifer was a nickname for military personnel that weren't Guardians. Regular humans who risked their lives despite not having a Ghost and gifts of the Traveler. She looked out upon the Last City and couldn't help but feel this little quest would be the end of her.

Deverim was a rugged man, but he was very welcoming to his little sniper's nest in the old church tower. Jen was grateful. There was a nearby Guardian in the area and that distracted the Eliksni for a time to allow Jen to get to where she was going.

"Brand should be here shortly." Dev said.

"That's good. I hope she could tell me what I need to know." Jen said. She was feeling a bit excited about all this and afraid. She had never been outside the City much. She was very young when it was being built.

Deverim pursed his lips. "I wouldn't count on that. Brand may not be the most cooperative."

"Damn right she isn't." Jen looked to see an Exo hop up on the deck of the church tower. Deverim visibly rolled his eyes. The hunter wore mottled green and black armor. Her cloak was a simple olive drab green. Her Exo frame was also green with black tiger stripes crossing her face.

Jen stood and offered her hand.

"Thank you for meeting me." The exo looked at the hand and walked past her. She went up to Dev and they began conversing. Jen was confused. Dev to his credit when they finished what they were doing pointed to Jen standing awkwardly standing in the corner.

"Brand, this young woman has come a long way from the safety of the Last City to see you." Brand turned as if noticing her for the first time.

"Oh, right. I will get those bounties to you shortly. I got some Fallen nests to wipe out later as well. You sure you don't want scalps?"

"Certain," Dev said, putting his foot down, frowning at the amused look on the hunter's face. Brand let out a light laugh as if this was an old joke. The exo strutted over. Jen noticed how pronounced her exo body was. It was not dissimilar to the Exo Stranger's frame. Barring the different face structure, it could have been the same model? Is that the right word? In other words it made her a little jealous that Exos didn't have to watch their figure. The Hunter looked Jen up and down. Jen felt uncomfortable as the Exo nodded approvingly before looking up at the historian in her eyes.

"What do you want? This for another Lysander hit piece? I don't talk to Journalists." The Exo pulled out a cigarette from one of the packs meant for ammo on her chest rig. She lit with a snap of her fingers, the metal of her fingers making the spark and began to puff. The Historian briefly wondered how the Exo could smoke, but the Exo's last question raised her hackles somewhat. Jen for her part was insulted at the insinuation she was some tabloid tart.

"I am a Historian not a Journalist. I am here to talk about a Warlord. One you knew well." Jen stated plainly.

The hunter got an amused look in her eye. A twinkle that said she knew exactly what Jen wanted, but she wanted to hear Jen say the name.

"Well, Shaka is dead, Citan is Dead," The Exo jerked her head and started talking to some else. "Yes, yes, I was getting to him, Now shut up." Her Ghost popped out from the opposite side of the Hunter. It looked in the direction the Exo was staring at. The Exo turned back to Jen, like she hadn't been interrupted, "Rykker is a maybe. Haven't heard what happened to him. They were pry the worst of the bunch. Rykker especially." The exo said her strange accent sounded out the vowels more than she ought to have. "Wouldn't come all this way for them though would you?"

"Iona," Jen said, getting to the point. She was already tired of this information source. Perhaps it was folly to come all this way.

"Ah," Brand said in recognition. "My dear Steel Queen." The exo chuckled. "Even she found the title annoying. It was a necessary propaganda tool to turn against the Iron Lords."

Jen made notes about Shaka and Rykker. Citan was well known as he was killed by the Iron Lord, Felwinter, but these two were just as mysterious. She also found herself noting the Exo's accent. The way she leaned on the vowels was odd.

"So you did know her?"

The Exo smirked and said nothing. She simply walked out of the room dropping to the next level.

Jen ran to the edge. She didn't see the Hunter anywhere. She must have used that active camo or something to disappear. Jen growled and leapt down. She would be damned if she had to come back out here a second time. Deverim tried to stop her.

"Miss, watch out, the Fallen are out and about." He looked as if he was going to follow when his earpiece rang and he moved to the window again taking shots from the tower, helping someone who needed more immediate help.

Jen refused to listen and charged after the obvious tracks left behind by the Hunter. Some even looked dug in to make them clearer. Fine, she would play this stupid little game. She found the bodies of dead fallen as if to lead her along. She stopped, reconsidering this action for the time since she started this little quest. The dead aliens lay in front of her, giving her pause. She was about to turn back when the voice of her mother echoed in her ears.

Iona killed my sister. Your Aunt. We were girls then. She killed her and her mother, my step mother. It made no sense until I was older.

In her fevered last moments in a bombed out ruined building during the Red War. It was the only time she ever heard her mother talk of her time outside the city. This was her real reason for coming all this way. She thought it would be simple. Get the information and go back to write down the many crimes of a monster for future generations to take heed from and avoid making her same mistakes. Jen took a long breath. This was her point of no return. She could go back to the library and sit amongst dusty tomes and old datapads or continue on this path. There was no magic extraction beyond this point. She was reminded of an ancient poem about the roads less traveled. She had to know where this story ended. Both hers and Iona's which had her racing into the ruins after the crazy Hunter.

A/N: This story won't be all that long. It was one of those things I couldn't get out of my head and had to write down. I don't see it being very long, maybe four or five chapters.