Chapter 37: The Weight of Knowledge

The Vanguard's chamber felt unusually cramped with so many legendary Guardians packed into its confines. Commander Zavala stood at his usual position, his massive frame backlit by the City sprawling below. Ikora Rey maintained her scholarly poise despite the tension in the room, while Cayde-6 lurked in his preferred shadows.

Oscar stepped forward first, the tome secured at his belt humming with barely contained energy. "The corruption we encountered in the Dreadnaught was unlike anything previously documented. The Taken there have... evolved."

"Evolved how?" Ikora's sharp mind focused on the implications.

Ruby's silver eyes held a haunted quality as she spoke. "They're learning to corrupt Light itself. Not just suppress it, but twist it against its nature."

"The Knight we encountered," Penny added, her usually cheerful demeanor subdued, "it wielded corrupted Light like a weapon. Our standard abilities had no effect on its shields."

Pyrrha's tactical assessment followed. "Standard weapons and Light-based attacks proved ineffective. Only by using..." She glanced at Adam before continuing, "specialized weaponry were we able to breach its defenses."

"Specialized how?" Zavala's eyes narrowed.

Adam remained silent, letting the others guide the conversation. His hand rested near Rose's grip, but the weight of Thorn pressed against his spine like a guilty secret.

"The details of our methods are less important than their implications," Oscar interjected smoothly. "What matters is that Savathûn has found a way to corrupt the fundamental nature of Light itself. And based on what we discovered in the throne room..." He trailed off, sharing a significant look with Ruby.

"She's been practicing," Ruby finished grimly. "Building her forces, perfecting the corruption. The Knight we faced was just a prototype." She paused, letting that sink in before adding, "And it was only one of many."

Oscar stepped forward again, his expression grim. "There's worse news. The Knight was Ascendant - a being with its own throne world in the Ascendant Plane. We didn't kill it in its throne realm, which means..."

"It will return," Ikora finished, understanding immediately. Her eyes narrowed with concern. "How long?"

"Hard to say," Oscar replied. "The normal rules regarding Ascendant Hive recovery times may not apply here. The corruption of Light itself could accelerate the process."

"So we have an unkillable Hive Knight that can corrupt and weaponize Light itself," Cayde summarized, pushing off from his shadowed corner. "And it's probably already rebuilding itself in some nightmare realm. That's... not great."

"More concerning is what this represents," Ikora added, her tactical mind already working through implications. "If Savathûn has found a way to create Ascendant beings that can corrupt Light, and if they can be effectively immortal unless killed in their throne worlds..."

"Then we're looking at the potential for an army of such beings," Zavala concluded, his voice heavy with the weight of command. "Each one requiring a full raid team and a throne world assault to permanently eliminate."

Cayde pushed himself fully away from the wall, his mechanical features arranged in an expression of intense focus that rarely crossed the Hunter Vanguard's face. "You're dancing around something," he said, his optics fixed on Adam. "You said you had a weapon that could breach its shields. What exactly did you use?"

The room grew unnaturally still. Ruby's silver eyes darted to Adam while Oscar's hand tightened almost imperceptibly on his cane. Pyrrha and Penny exchanged quick glances.

"A relic," Adam replied carefully, "from darker times."

"Bull," Cayde's nickname for Adam, carried none of its usual playful tone. "I know that look. I've seen it before, on Guardians who've walked too close to the edge." His hand moved unconsciously toward where Ace rested at his hip. "What are you carrying, old friend?"

The tension in the room ratcheted higher as Adam's pale blue eyes met Cayde's glowing optics. For a long moment, neither spoke.

"It was necessary," Ruby interjected softly, drawing surprised looks from both Zavala and Ikora. "I gave him permission to keep it, after he found his way back to the light under his own will."

Understanding dawned in Ikora's eyes first. "Thorn," she breathed, the name itself seeming to darken the room's light. "You still have it."

"And if I didn't," Adam's voice cut through the tension like a blade, "we would either be dead in that throne room, or had to abort the mission without retrieving Jaune." His pale blue eyes swept the room, meeting each gaze in turn. "There are times when walking the edge between Light and Dark isn't just about choice - it's about necessity. That Knight's shields were made of corrupted Light. None of our standard weapons or abilities could touch it. Sometimes..." he paused, his hand unconsciously moving toward where Thorn rested beneath his coat, "sometimes you need weapons that understand corruption to fight it."

"Speaking of Jaune," Ikora smoothly redirected the conversation, though her sharp eyes suggested the Thorn discussion wasn't truly finished, "what is his current condition?"

"Recovering well," Pyrrha reported, her voice carrying both professional assessment and personal relief. "The medical team expects him to regain full strength within a day or so. His Light is stabilizing, though the effects of being trapped between realities for so long..." She trailed off, choosing her words carefully.

"His Ghost has been instrumental in his recovery," Oscar added. "Juniper's connection to him remained strong despite centuries of separation. That bond is helping anchor him fully in our reality."

Zavala's stern expression softened slightly. "Good. The City has missed his strength." He paused, sharing a knowing look with Cayde. "Though his return presents... political complications."

"New Monarchy," Ruby said with a slight eye roll. "They're going to be insufferable about this, aren't they?"

"Executor Hideo has already requested an audience," Ikora confirmed, a hint of dry amusement in her tone. "Multiple times. With increasing urgency."

"They still think he's their prophesied king?" Cayde asked, his mechanical features arranged in what passed for a grin. "Oh, this is going to be entertaining."

"It's not funny," Adam interjected, though there was a ghost of humor in his voice. "They've spent centuries building up the legend of their 'golden guardian.' His return now, especially after we just lost Saint-14..."

"They'll see it as a sign," Zavala finished grimly. "A destined ruler returning in the City's hour of need."

"Jaune wants nothing to do with it," Ruby stated firmly. "He's made that very clear. Multiple times. Usually with pillows."

"New Monarchy won't be our only concern," Ikora noted, her scholarly mind already analyzing the political landscape. "Lakshmi-2 will want to know if the Future War Cult's predictions about his return were accurate."

"They had predictions?" Pyrrha asked, surprise evident in her voice.

"The War Cult has predictions about everything," Cayde replied, his tone suggesting long experience with their prophecies. "Though they tend to be... conveniently vague until after the fact."

"Dead Orbit's reaction worries me more," Adam said quietly. "Arach Jalaal never trusted Jaune's optimism about humanity's future on Earth. His return now, especially with what we discovered about Savathûn's plans..."

"They'll use it as another excuse to push their evacuation agenda," Zavala finished, his disapproval clear. "Claim that even legendary Guardians are returning to warn us of Earth's coming doom."

"Three factions, three different ways to exploit his return," Oscar summarized. "Each trying to twist his presence to support their own agenda."

The hangar echoed with its usual cacophony of engine tests and repair work as Yang, Blake and Weiss approached Amanda Holliday's workstation. The shipwright was elbow-deep in an engine assembly, her face smudged with grease.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite new Lights," Amanda called out, wiping her hands on a rag. "What brings you to my corner of the Tower?"

Weiss stepped forward, maintaining her usual poise despite the industrial surroundings. "We need to discuss retrieving my ship. It's still in orbit where I was first risen."

"Ah right, the derelict Arcadia-class," Amanda nodded, pulling up data on her pad. "Been tracking it. Orbit's degrading slowly - we've got maybe a week before atmospheric entry becomes a problem."

"Can we salvage it?" Blake asked, her ears twitching at a particularly loud engine test nearby.

"Depends on the damage," Amanda replied. "Most fresh-risen leave their first ships pretty beaten up. But..." She grinned at Weiss, "Word is you managed a surprisingly smooth first flight, even if it was more 'controlled drift' than actual piloting."

Yang snorted. "That's our Weiss - graceful even when completely clueless."

"I was not clueless," Weiss protested. "I simply had... limited operational knowledge at the time."

"Right," Blake deadpanned. "Is that what we're calling 'absolutely no idea how to fly' now?"

Amanda laughed. "Well, either way, we should grab it before it becomes a very expensive shooting star. I've got a recovery ship prepped - just need a few volunteers for the retrieval op."

"We're in," Yang said immediately. "Been wanting to try my hand at some zero-g maneuvers anyway."

"Just remember," Blake cautioned, "no punching in space this time."

"That was ONE time!"

"It was three times," Weiss corrected primly. "I counted."

Amanda shook her head, grinning. "You three are gonna be trouble, I can tell. Alright, meet me back here at 0800 tomorrow. We'll go fishing for your wayward ship."

As they turned to leave, Amanda called after them: "Oh, and Yang? Try not to break anything vital during the recovery. Replacing hull plates is expensive enough without adding 'Titan-induced structural damage' to the bill!"

"No promises!" Yang shouted back cheerfully.

"I'll keep her in line," Blake assured Amanda.

"We'll try, at least," Weiss amended.

The sound of Amanda's laughter followed them out of the hangar. Tomorrow would bring its own challenges, but for now, they had a plan - and the prospect of adding another ship to their growing fleet.

Assuming, of course, that Yang could resist the urge to punch things in zero gravity.

The recovery vessel's hold was essentially a massive box with engines - an ungainly but practical design that spoke more to function than aesthetics. Blake, Yang, and Weiss stood in their environmental suits as Amanda went through the pre-flight checks.

"Alright ladies," Amanda's voice crackled through their comms, "recovery ops are pretty straightforward. We position the hold around the target ship, you three secure it with the tether cables, and we bring it home nice and gentle-like."

"Define 'gentle-like'," Weiss requested, checking her suit's oxygen readings for the third time.

"Well," Amanda drawled, "ideally we don't add any new dents to the ones it's already got. Speaking of which..." The massive hold doors began to open, revealing Weiss's derelict ship floating serenely against the backdrop of stars and Earth below.

"Wow Weiss," Yang whistled, "you really did leave it in decent shape. I was expecting way more scorch marks."

"Unlike some people," Weiss replied primly, "I didn't try to headbutt my way through the atmosphere."

"That was ONE time!"

"Three times," Blake corrected automatically. "I still have the footage."

Amanda's laughter filled their comms as she carefully maneuvered the recovery vessel. The massive hold doors opened wider, perfectly framing Weiss's ship. With practiced skill, she edged the larger vessel forward until the derelict was fully within the hold's space.

"Magnetic clamps engaged," Amanda announced as faint humming filled the hold. "That'll keep it stable while you work. Time for your spacewalk, Guardians."

Yang cracked her knuckles inside her suit gloves. "Finally, some action! Race you to the far side, Blake!"

"No racing in zero-g," Weiss commanded. "We do this properly or not at all."

Blake's ears twitched inside her helmet as she grabbed a tether cable. "Agreed. Yang, you take the port side. I'll handle starboard. Weiss can supervise from the center mount."

"Aw, you guys are no fun," Yang pouted, but moved to her assigned position.

They pushed off carefully from the hold's deck, their suit thrusters allowing precise movement in the zero gravity. The derelict ship hung suspended by the magnetic clamps, looking almost peaceful despite its abandoned state.

"Start with the primary attachment points," Amanda instructed. "Four on each side, two fore and aft. Those cables need to be tight - we'll be hitting atmosphere in about an hour."

Yang reached her first attachment point, carefully securing the heavy-duty cable. "Hey Weiss, your ship's actually pretty nice under all this space dust. Maybe we can fix it up, add some flames along the sides..."

"Absolutely not."

"Just a small flame? Like, tastefully done?"

"Yang," Blake called from the other side, "focus on the cables."

"I am focusing! I'm just saying, a little customization..."

"If you put flames on my ship," Weiss threatened, "I will find a way to turn your entire armor collection pink. Permanently."

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Try me."

Amanda's voice cut through their banter: "Cable tension looking good on the port side. Blake, your starboard aft cable needs about 10% more tension."

"Adjusting now," Blake replied, her movements precise in the zero-g environment.

They worked steadily, securing cable after cable until the ship was properly webbed for atmospheric entry. Yang managed to resist adding any unauthorized decorative elements, though she did spend several minutes trying to convince Weiss that racing stripes would "totally improve aerodynamic performance."

"All cables show green," Amanda announced finally. "Nice work, ladies. Now get back inside so we can bring this bird home."

They pushed off carefully from the derelict, using their thrusters to navigate back to the hold's deck. As artificial gravity reasserted itself, Yang stumbled slightly.

"I still say it needs flames," she muttered.

"Pink armor," Weiss reminded her sweetly. "With little hearts."

"You're evil," Yang declared. "Blake, back me up here!"

But Blake just smiled mysteriously, already imagining how she could help Weiss with her threatened makeover of Yang's armor collection.

"Alright, hold on to something," Amanda called out. "Atmospheric entry in ten minutes. Let's see if those cables are as secure as they look."

The massive hold doors began to close as they strapped in for reentry. Above them, Weiss's ship hung securely in its web of cables - ready to return to Earth for the first time since its Guardian's resurrection.

"No flames," Weiss said firmly, seeing Yang open her mouth again.

"Not even a tiny one?"

"Pink. Hearts."

Yang slumped in defeat while Blake tried and failed to hide her amusement. The recovery ship's engines roared to life as Amanda began their descent, carrying them and their salvaged prize back toward the waiting Tower.

Amanda Holliday circled Weiss's recovered ship with practiced eyes, her datapad making soft chirping sounds as she cataloged its condition. Yang, Blake, and Weiss watched anxiously as the experienced shipwright conducted her inspection.

"Well," Amanda said finally, lowering her pad, "good news is the hull's in surprisingly decent shape. Gonna need some patching here and there, but nothing major. Nav sensors just need a bit of calibration - whoever maintained this bird before kept the important bits in good order."

"And the bad news?" Blake asked, her ears already flattening in anticipation.

Amanda knocked on the engine housing with her wrench, producing a hollow sound that made Weiss wince. "This engine's completely shot. The internals are degraded beyond repair - something about the way it was sitting in orbit caused some weird molecular breakdown. We're gonna need to source a whole new powerplant."

"How long for repairs?" Weiss asked, unconsciously standing straighter.

"Hull work and nav sensors, bout a week," Amanda replied, making notes on her pad. "But that engine..." She shook her head. "You're gonna need to track down a replacement. These old Arcadia-class ships used a pretty specific model. Might find one in the Cosmodrome if you're lucky - lots of old jumpships still scattered around out there."

"A scavenging mission?" Yang perked up immediately. "Count me in!"

"Down, girl," Blake placed a restraining hand on Yang's shoulder. "We should probably get more details before charging off into the Cosmodrome."

"I can mark some likely locations on your map," Amanda offered. "Areas where similar ships went down during the Collapse. Can't guarantee what condition the engines'll be in, but it's a start."

Weiss nodded decisively. "Then that's our next mission. How soon can you start the other repairs?"

"I'll have my crew begin today," Amanda said, already waving over some of her mechanics. "By the time you find an engine, we'll have everything else sorted." She paused, then added with a grin: "And no, Yang, we're not adding flames while Weiss is gone."

"Oh come on!" Yang threw up her hands in exasperation. "Not even a tiny..."

"No," Weiss and Blake said in unison.

"You guys are no fun," Yang pouted. "Fine, let's go hunt for engine parts. But I still say a little customization wouldn't hurt..."

"Pink. Hearts." Weiss reminded her sweetly.

"That's just fighting dirty," Yang grumbled.

Amanda laughed as she turned back to her work. "Get going, you three. Those engine parts aren't gonna find themselves. And try not to blow up too much stuff in the Cosmodrome - the Fallen get cranky when we disturb their salvage grounds."

"No promises!" Yang called back cheerfully as they headed out.

"I'll keep her in line," Blake assured Amanda.

"We'll try, at least," Weiss amended, already planning how to minimize the inevitable chaos that followed Yang on salvage missions.

Behind them, Amanda's crews began swarming over the recovered ship, their tools and scanners ready to begin its restoration. In a week, it would be ready for its new engine - assuming they could find one without causing too much destruction in the process.

Given Yang's excitement about the mission, Weiss made a mental note to pack extra ammunition. Something told her they'd need it.

What should WBY's ship be called? it is the same ship the player gets from the cosmodrome.