The Coming War

The Coming War is a story mission in The Taken King.^[1] It is the first mission of the expansion, and takes place on Fleetbase Korus on Phobos, Mars' second moon.

Objectives[]

Infiltrate the Base
Investigate the Base
Survive the Attack
Escape the Base
Get to your Ship

Transcript[]

{Cinematic}

A drawing of the system fades in, briefly panning across a few planets, before drawing the Traveler and the signature graphing lines associated with it.

GHOST: I was born the moment the Traveler died as everything collapsed around us. Before that day, there had never been a Ghost. There had never been a Guardian.

The Traveler's drawing approaches Earth and positions itself above it.

GHOST: I don't know much about the Traveler. But I know it made me to bring you back. And I spent a really, really long time searching for you. The Cosmodrome? Not the first place I looked.

A minimalist depiction of the Traveler releasing the Ghosts is drawn. Many drawings of Ghosts are seen surrounding Earth, with the player's Ghost descending towards the center.

GHOST: As I saw the other Ghosts find their Guardians and the centuries went by, I wondered if I'd ever find you. And then, I did.

The drawing of the system fades out entirely, and transitions to Saturn. Several Hive warships including Oryx's Dreadnaught can be seen amidst the planet's rings.

MARA SOV: I remember everything about the day I was born. I still bear the scars.

Ketches repurposed for the Queen's armada can be seen. Hundreds of Galliots accompany the Awoken fleet.

MARA SOV: The Awoken are my family now.

The camera zooms in on Uldren Sov's Galliot until it cuts to the inside. It then cuts again to a group of Galliots assaulting the Hive fleet.

MARA SOV: And I am their Queen.

A battle ensues as the Hive and the Awoken fight amongst the rings of Saturn. Some ships on both sides are destroyed.

Uldren approaches the Dreadnaught and prepares to fire on it. The heavy weapons barely scratch the hull. Uldren looks back in dismay. The camera cuts to a view of the Queen's ship.

MARA SOV: We fought to keep our beautiful creation safe.

The camera cuts to the inside. Mara Sov is on a balcony overlooking the fight.

MARA SOV: And now this beast has come, claiming to be King.

Several Techeuns walk to the Queen.

MARA SOV: Mara Sov bows to no one.

The Queen looks back at the Techeuns and nods. As the four of them stand in position, Mara's eyes begin to glow a bright blue, and they flicker, until she closes them. Several wisps of energy form between the Techeuns' outstretched hands, and a much larger one forms outside the ship. Seven beams of brilliant blue light, Harbingers, form in result of the Coven's efforts, and rush forward. Mara Sov faints from the overexertion. The Harbingers continue their assault, easily tearing through multiple Hive ships on the way to the Dreadnaught. However, upon slamming into the sides of the Dreadnaught, it remains seemingly undamaged. The Queen walks up to see what has happened.

The camera cuts to the side of the Dreadnaught, the energy of the Harbingers harmlessly dissipating. Oryx stands on an exposed balcony of his ship. An immense sword sits by his side.

MARA SOV: You and I know how this ends. We've known since you've escaped from that... "pit."

Oryx walks up a podium, filled with energy. He slowly raises his sword over his head then slams it down into the podium, a shockwave spreading through the observation room. A massive superweapon begins to charge outside. As it fires, it creates a devastating spherical blast.

Mara Sov witnesses the blast, then closes her eyes.

The shockwave destroys all of the lead Ketches. Several dozen Galliots turn around in an attempt to avoid the blast; the ones that do not turn around in time are destroyed. The camera cuts to the inside of Uldren's cockpit, who roars as he attempts to avoid and outrun the blast.

The camera fades to the aftermath. Debris from destroyed Hive and Awoken ships litter the battlefield. Only the Dreadnaught still stands.

MARA SOV: The Awoken have played their part. This was all part of the plan.

The camera zooms in on the King, standing on a balcony. He growls, and floats back inside. The camera cuts to the massive hole blown in Saturn's rings.

MARA SOV: Guide them, my Hidden friend. It is all up to you now.

{Cutscene}

The Guardian's ship enters Phobos and zooms along canyons and cliffs.

COMMANDER ZAVALA: Guardian, this is Commander Zavala. The Cabal base on Phobos is blasting a signal across all channels. If they're willing to break transmission silence, this could be a prelude to a full scale assault.
GHOST: We're setting down on Phobos now.
ZAVALA: I'll be monitoring your feed, Ghost. Good luck to you both.

The Guardian's ship drops them off near Fleetbase Korus.

{Gameplay}

The Guardian walks toward the base. Several Legionary corpses can be seen. A Harvester rises up, pans its searchlight over the Guardian, and flies away. A Legionary crawls out of a crevice, wailing in agony, then dying shortly after.

As the Guardian approaches the base, explosions occur in it. Several Cabal soldiers flee the base, and another large explosion kills them. Another Harvester lifts off, leaving behind several Cabal, who wave after it in a desperate plea for help. They either continue searching for another ship, or spot the Guardian and attack. The area near the launchpad is demolished and burning.

GHOST: Zavala, the Cabal are evacuating with extreme prejudice. They're getting torn up down here.

Another wailing Legionary crawls out of some debris, and dies. The Ghost scans its corpse.

GHOST: Skyburners regiment. Dead, obviously. There are no other Guardians down here. I wonder what put them down?

The Guardian enters Skyburner Keep.

ERIS MORN: Something has drawn us here. I can feel it.
ZAVALA: Guardian, I have asked Eris Morn to monitor the channel.
ERIS: I hear whispers in the dark.

As the Guardian navigates deeper inside the seemingly deserted base, a small white light floats in front of an open door. The Guardian approaches it, but it makes a loud screeching noise and flees down the hallway.

ZAVALA: What the hell was that?
ERIS: Fingertips on the surface of my mind!
ZAVALA: Yes... thank you for your input, Eris.

Upon turning the corner, several voids of nothingness appear in parts of the base. If the Guardian sends the Ghost to investigate:

GHOST: This membrane is attempting to form a bridge between dimensions, but I think it requires a living host.

The Guardian reaches a staircase wrapped around a glass elevator shaft. An elevator comes crashing down the shaft and slams onto a ledge, getting stuck between the beams. A Legionary is inside, desperately scrambling to escape. It climbs out from a hole in the top, but is crushed by falling debris, which knocks the elevator car loose and causes it to fall. As the Guardian continues walking up the ramps, a Centurion frantically tries to escape from the white light, but it holds him in place and eventually sucks it into nothingness. More ruptures appear, scattered throughout the area.

ERIS: The whispers are louder. I will endure.

Another Centurion is seen running for his life futilely before he is snatched up as well. The Guardian continues forward.

ERIS: They speak a word. A name.

The Guardian walks into a large, circular room.

ERIS: He is here!

A transparent image of Oryx forms in center of the room. It stares directly at the Guardian.

ORYX: Light! Give your will to me!

Oryx summons Taken to the room, including Syrok, Word of Oryx. They surround the Guardian and attack. The Guardian kills them.

ERIS: You have seen his face. It was his hand that transformed the Cabal.
ZAVALA: This mission is scrubbed. Guardian, get to your ship and get out of there!

The Guardian exits the room through a different door and finds more Taken. They encounter Cabal and Taken fighting each other along the way. If the Guardian scans a nearby hologram of the Dreadnaught:

GHOST: This matches an image I collected from The World's Grave: a Dreadnaught. They don't exist in our system. I'll mark it for transmat to the Vanguard and hope we get a signal.

After the Guardian eliminates all the threats in the area, they find an energy reading machine. If the Ghost scans the monitor:

GHOST: They sent teams to investigate anomalous energy fluctuations across the base. None of the units reported back.

Heading further down a hallway, the Guardian finds another machine, with a hologram of Phobos on the screen. If the Ghost scans it:

GHOST: Cabal mining sites across Mars and Phobos have been hit. Losses to Blind Legion: thirty-five percent. Losses to Sand Eaters: fifty-eight percent. Dust Giants: thirty-nine percent. What is this?

ZAVALA: The base is a loss. We have reports of these "Taken" across the system. Go! Get out!

The Guardian hastily makes their way outside. A large battle is taking place between the Cabal and Taken. A ship crashes into a building near the Guardian and explodes. The Guardian's own ship flies overhead, turning near their position, and hovering over a ledge nearby.

GHOST: Our ship's landing across the airfield! Hurry!

The Guardian runs through the neighboring building.

GHOST: We're almost there!

The Guardian fights their way through and eventually makes it to their ship.

{Cutscene}

The Guardian runs toward their ship, and warps in. The ship immediately turns around and takes off.

GHOST: Zavala, we made it to our ship. We're heading home.

Mission ends.

{Cinematic}

The camera fades in and pans down to the Aerodrome, where the Guardian previously escaped. The area is completely silent and overrun with Taken. A perspective view shows the members of the Taken--former Centurions, Knights, Psions, and Acolytes--all twitching uncontrollably, against their will. An Echo of Oryx floats over the disfigured victims, surveying the scene. All of them kneel to the floor in reverence. The Echo sneers down at the newly Taken life forms. A Psion splits into two copies of itself, still kneeling. A Taken Legionary lowers its head. Satisfied, the Echo disappears.

The camera cuts to Oryx himself, standing on a balcony outside the Dreadnaught. With his hands resting on his sword, he takes a deep breath. Echtar, Sword of Oryx walks up behind him.

ECHTAR: Their leaders belong to you. The rest await extermination.
ORYX: No, gather them. I will take them all.

The camera cuts to a sweeping view of the Dreadnaught from a distance.

IKORA REY: My contacts near Saturn say the weapon fired only once.

The scene transitions to a hologram of the ship in the Hall of Guardians, surrounded by the Vanguard.

ZAVALA: It's not like the Queen to attack a superior force...
IKORA: How could she have known? How could anyone? We need a Warlock inside the Dreadnaught.
CAYDE-6: Here we go...
ZAVALA: Our first priority must be to protect the City. Our Guardian got a good look on Phobos. Whatever it was, it turned Cabal against Cabal. Wiped out their base in minutes. How long would we last?

IKORA: Until we understand what we're dealing with--

Eris throws her orb across the room, and it suddenly stops on the Dreadnaught hologram, interrupting its projection.

ERIS: They are Taken.

Eris walks toward the Vanguard.

CAYDE: Eris, get your rock off my map.
ERIS: It hasn't spoken since Crota fell.

Eris reaches her hand out toward the orb, which flickers.

ERIS: It speaks now, because Oryx has arrived. Come to fill the final covenant of his son.

Ikora looks at Eris, confused.

IKORA: But... why fight the Cabal?
ERIS: Not fighting. Taking. Controlling their will.

Eris turns to find Cayde nonchalantly lifting the orb off the hologram and glaring at her. She sneers angrily at him. Cayde simply ignores her and plays with her orb like a ball.

ZAVALA: So we focus on his army, kill these Taken until he's all that's left?
ERIS: Whatever you kill, Oryx will replace.
IKORA: The Dreadnaught, then. How do we get past that weapon?
ZAVALA: Without ending up like the Awoken?

Cayde-6 stops rolling the orb around in his hands, and looks towards the rest of the Vanguard.