All posts by Inquisitor01

Ma'carn's arrival at the Lighthouse was punctuated by the hiss of the Harvester's troop bay opening up. With a quartet of Centurions at his side, Ma'carn shouldered his Archammer and stepped outside.

"I wish to speak with the commander of this outpost. We have much to discuss!"

"I'm going to need a ride as well. My Jumpship is currently a wreck in the Fields of Glass." Fenrir was quick to take Scythe's offer. "I'll meet Kei in the hangar."

While Argus discussed their battleplan, a single Harvester detached itself from Vita Extinctor's hangars. Inside it, Ma'carn was flanked by his Honor Guard in full battle-gear.

"Switch to open communication channels."

The lone Psion pilot silently nodded and, with the press of a button, removed the encryption that protected the Primus' comms.

"Guardians and Disciples of Osiris, I am Primus Ma'carn of the Storm Juggernauts. One of your kind sent a call for aid to us, and we have answered it!" Ma'carn's voice boomed across both Guardian, Disciple and Fallen channels. As he spoke, the Harvester gradually slowed its approach towards the Lighthouse and initiated its landing.

"Maybe I did, kid. Maybe I did."

Fenrir dropped down from the suspended Raptor, gracefully touching down on the hangar floor.

"How soon until this thing has landed? I need to be on the ground to meet the Cabal commander."

The Honor Guard's armoury was surprisingly quiet when Ma'carn stepped into it. The area was spartan in nature, only containing the bare minimum of databases and weapon containers needed to support the small, but elite force of soldiers. The Primus had expected to see his Honor Guard in their battlegear here, but they were nowhere to be seen.

"So, we're going to war alongside the Guardians again?"

A Psion in jet-black and heavily ornate gear approached the Primus, tinkering with what appeared to be a heavily armoured bracelet.

"Indeed, Iokar. The very same that fought with us against the Fallen on Europa."

Iokar strode past Ma'carn and over to a data-central, locking his device into an energy field above the console. Flashes of orange sporadically illuminated the bracelet and its surroundings as the Psion began to feed the console commands, while Ma'carn took a seat at a nearby table.

"Judging by the ship's speed, I'd almost say you like these ones." Iokar slyly commented. "To think, that you wished to hunt them all down for your mentor's murder."

"Ta'aurc's death was... unfortunate, but I have begun to think it was necessary." Ma'carn stated. "I was a fool, too blinded by his teachings to see the full picture. I saw the Guardians as murderers. I was vengeful against them. I wished for the immortals' deaths, to see their city in flames. And yet, after that crash on Europa, when I found myself on that mountain, I was not prepared to fight as Ta'aurc had taught me to. There was no lust for battle, or bloodshed. In that moment, I understood how wrong he had been."

"You've lectured me on this subject before, Primus." Iokar pointed out as he continued to scan the device in the energy field. Ma'carn had never been of the technological sort, and so he did not really know what his Chief Engineer was doing.

"Indeed I have, my friend, indeed. They are thoughts and doubt that return to me from time to time, and I cannot bear to keep them to myself. Did I condemn us all in my cowardice? Was my fate to die on that glacier?"

"As your humble subordinate, I'm afraid I cannot be of any assistance in this matter, but I remind you that I will always serve you faithfully and without doubt." Iokar seemed to have finished his work, and the bracelet was removed from its artificial suspension. "Here, your left arm."

Ma'carn quietly extended his arm, as requested. The bracelet loudly snapped into place on his armour, and soon began to glow with orange, solar energy.

"Prototype, intended for Red Legion usage. Gives you the same protection a physical shield would, with added resistance against energy weapons. Useful in Vex engagements. Give it a try."

Ma'carn assumed a defensive stance, and true to Iokar's word, a shield similar in form to a Phalanx' shield formed, only much larger in scale.

"Thank you, Iokar."

"No, thank you, Primus, for sharing your thoughts. I should not be so cold. That time is past us now."

As Ma'carn left for the hangar, a smile had formed beneath his helmet.

Dust flew far as the Vita Extinctor IX, flagship and last remaining vessel of the Storm Juggernauts approached Mercury's surface. The massive Warship moved over the Fields of Glass in a hurry, speeding towards the Lighthouse as best it could.

"Primus, initial scans indicate no major Vex activity in the area. The offensive seems to have been forced off."

"Picking up any survivors?"

"Not from this range, Primus."

"Dispatch Raptor squadrons, make sure we are completely secure. Not a single Vex unit gets close to the Lighthouse once I am on the ground. Perform scans every five minutes after landing. I want Tha'larc's Harvesters loaded and ready to go in the case of an emergency."

"As you wish, Primus."

"That will be all, Colek. Notify Iokar that I am on my way to the armoury."

("We'll take you to the Tower so you can be regenerated properly."

"Nah it's alright I'll just revive him here. What could go wrong?")

<Primus Ma'carn, a few months ago you and your legion assisted the Guardians collectively known as Fireteam Argus in defeating the Eliksni House of Storms. It is my understanding that you did this despite knowing that you would almost certainly be branded a traitor. If this is true, then you might know why I am calling upon you. The Vex threaten to end us all. Not just the Last City and the Guardians, but everything that has opposed them, is opposing them, and will oppose them. The machine-world Mercury is being reactivated as I speak, and if it is allowed to become fully operational then this plan will come to frution. The Guardians need allies, Primus. We have fought, bled, and died in this battle, but it is not enough. I ask you, if you are still alive, to help Fireteam Argus again. Help us end this fight. I am transmitting the coordinates for a meeting place on Mercury>

Ma'carn fell silent as the message finished, deep in thought, it appeared.

"These coordinates, where do they lead?"

"A location the Legion database refers to as 'The Lighthouse', Primus. It serves as a base for a splinter group of Lightbear- Guardians, known as the Disciples of Osiris."

"Any notable Vex activity during the latest cycle?"

"Yes, major surge in active units on Venus and Mars. Several Sand Eater and Siege Dancer complexes overrun, Blind Legion has been performing counter-attacks."

"Set a course for Mercury."

"This is Fenrir. I'm listening, Grim."

While the Hunter waited for the message, Sanctus continued his analysis of the Raptor's systems.

"I think I've got it now. Comms should be up and running soon."

"Wonderful..."

"Incoming transmission, Primus!"

"Origin?"

"...Earth."

Primus Ma'carn of the Storm Juggernauts blinked, partially in shock and partially with curiosity.

"Secure the connection and put it through my personal channel."

Link to the next thread: http://destiny.wikia.com/wiki/Thread:54796

"There they are. Just like the reports said."

"Thank the Traveler he hasn't dismantled them."

"Wouldn't have been surprising though."

"No."

The pair of Cabal spacefighters were suspended high above the small armada of Skiffs in the hangar, dull dark blue paint masking them against the ceiling.

"Think you can get me up there?"

Sanctus silently responded by having Fenrir materialise right on top of the closest spacecraft's cockpit.

"Scans indicate it's sealed shut. Either Jaqueline didn't want Scythe to get these things back, or Scythe didn't want Jaqueline to sell them off."

"Easily fixed." The Hunter brought down his boot on the cockpit's glass with full force. Not the slightest crack showed itself. Fenrir sighed and reached for his belt, and found himself grasping at nothing but thin air.

"Right. Stuck that into a cyborg corpse. Sanctus, if you would be so kind as to call the good Guardian-Kell?"

"Right," Sanctus nodded. "Scythe, how do we unlock the Cabal Raptors?"

"Traveler be damned..." Fenrir muttered as he took his sword back. "It's a sword. A Light-powered sword. If it can't cut through that then it isn't doing its job. Here, I'll show you." With a light tap to the hilt, the blade vanished. Another tap, and it was back. Fenrir walked back to Kei's body and planted the sword firmly into the cyborg's shoulder. "If you need me, I'll be in the hangar."

"You can look away if you want to." Fenrir calmly stated, and pulled the trigger. A mix of blood and radiolaria pooled beneath Kei's head.

"Now, don't revive him just yet." Fenrir threw Void Edge to Scythe and began to walk to the exit. "That Vex plating needs to go."

(Notifications.exe has stopped working.)

"Yeah, I'm in a damn hurry. Avgust's comms have been offline since we left, and no one's answering my calls to the Lighthouse! The entire team might be dead!" Fenrir lashed back. He took a few quick steps toward Scythe, hand cannon still drawn. "How long have you lived here? Did you lose your touch after all these years with the Eliksni? We are Guardians..." Fenrir said as he brought the Last Word to his own jaw and fired. The body immediately collapsed.

"...we are immortal."

Fenrir stood over Kei, looking at the cyborg's Vex modifications. With The Last Word's barrel placed against Kei's forehead, he turned his head away and prepared to pull the trigger.

(I don't think we've said anything at all about that. Nothing's been decided yet.)

"Here's what we'll do. We'll put a bullet in what's left of your brain, carve off the metal bits and send your corpse to the Tower.", Fenrir said as he picked up Void Edge from the ground.

"Simple, and slightly barbaric, but effective.", Sanctus nodded.

(Side note, we're at 455 posts. Time to start thinking about the next thread?)

While the Vex cyborg monstrosity focused on Scythe, Fenrir reappeared right behind its back, Void Edge in hand and ignited. The Hunter stabbed Kei Perfected in its leg, driving the sword in deep enough to leave it stuck.

Kei's insanity-fueled speech was abruptly cut off by the sound of several high-caliber rounds tearing through the former Guardian's Siren escorts. The maddened cyborg was drowned out in mechanical wails as the Vex trio all collapsed at once.

"Big words. Can you back them up?", Fenrir spat out before vanishing from the bridge doorway.

(So the Vex have unrestricted and unlimited teleportation powers... which they don't use to just enter the Ketch directly?)

"You've really done it in for yourself now, haven't you?"

Fenrir's voice was noticably rough as he spoke, leaning over Jaqueline's stiff corpse on one knee. The body was sprawled out on its back, blood still dripping from the Wire Rifle holes.

"Who did you work for, Jaqueline...?"

With some assistance from Sanctus, Fenrir began to search through Jaqueline's gear, though he did not get very far. In the same moment that he removed the dead Huntress' belt, a keypad connected to the partially-intact throne lit up with a bright, flashing orange light.

<Hull breach detected. Hull breach detected.>

(Oh noes. Kei's a baddie.)

"I think Fenrir just told me to remind him to punch you when he's revived. Might've just been my imagination!"

"Just shoot her Ghost, Scythe!", Sanctus shouted from the ledge. "We can figure things out later, but right now we're on a bit of a tight schedule!"

(Am not the deaded anymore. Am the live.)

(No problem, Zippo, we're not going anywhere. Probably.)

"Fenrir, if you can hear me, we're going to try to patch you up now. Be still.", Sanctus said to the stiff body that lied on the ledge. He didn't get an answer, but the Ghost didn't seem to care. A thin beam of light shot out from his singular eye and connected with Fenrir's throat. Agonizingly slowly, the beam moved across the open wound and began to mend it, neutralising the active Essence at the same time.

-

Jaqueline pressed on in her charge, ignorant of Scythe's Wire Rifle as it charged up a new round. The following shot dug itself deep into her abdomen, causing the Huntress to slow down, stumble, and fall over. Her twin Shock Swords sparked as they clattered to the floor, staining it with Devouring Essence in the process.

Fenrir gave a weak thumbs-up to Virgil, shortly before either passing out or passing away. At the same moment, Sanctus finally reappeared beside the Hunter's limp body.

"I'm sorry I didn't show up eariler, but I couldn't risk it with Jaqueline so close."

The Ghost quickly set about with scanning Fenrir's wounds, focusing in particular on the wide-open gash in his throat.

"I'm going to need your help to seal this. Unless we do it now, I'm not sure we can heal him in time."

-

Jaqueline groaned as the Wire Rifle round tore right through her shoulder, causing her to lose her footing for a few brief seconds.

"You really should've stayed away. You don't know what you've gotten yourself into."

Raising her twin Shock Swords as best she could, Jaqueline blindly charged towards Scythe.

Eerily calm, Fenrir turned his head to face Virgil and silently acknowledged the Ghost's request with a nod. He continued by pointing towards a nearby roof ledge and gesturing towards his back, where Stillpiercer was strapped in place. The Hunter finished his little charade by throwing his arm in Jaqueline's direction, who in turn was now wildly shouting.

"There never was a why! A poor leader needed a replacement. For the Traveler's sake, you taught our Prime to watch some centuries-old TV show!"

Jaqueline looked at Scythe, then turned to look at Fenrir's body, then looked back at Scythe. With a casual shrug, she dropped her spent Shock Pistol to the ground.

"I guess you're just going to have to kill me, sweetheart."

In his end of the room, Fenrir was slowly propping himself up against the throne, all while trying not to make too much noise as he choked on his own body fluids.