[Tower, Last City]
Birds circled in lazy arcs above the Tower spire, while Guardians and citizens alike went about their daily rituals. For most, the day was peaceful, perhaps, even calm.
But not inside the Vanguard command center.
In the war room overlooking the Tower courtyard, a silence had settled between Ikorra Zavala, and Cayde. Dozens of display panels cast a dim blue glow over the room, flickering with updates, scans, satellite logs, and Crucible records. Yet none of those mattered at the moment. Not to Ikorra.
Her eyes were locked to the transmission feed. Still no signal. Still no word.
She tapped her fingers rhythmically against the console edge, her gaze burning into the screen. She'd refreshed the data three times in the last five minutes. Still, nothing from Void or the new lights.
"Not to interrupt your schizo session, but you might just brick the server." Cayde muttered from across the room, leaning back in his chair, boots kicked lazily up onto the nearest crate. "If the transmission didn't come through the first twelve times, it won't come through now."
Ikorar didn't respond. She just sat still, lips pressed tightly together, eyes sharp.
"She's worried," Zavala said plainly, arms crossed. His voice, low and steady, cut through the ambient hum of the room.
Cayde shrugged. "We all are. But let's be honest. Void's a very lowkey guy. Heck, last I remember he didn't even tell us he saved the new lights."
Ikorra finally looked over her shoulder. "The problem isn't just him. It's also the new lights now. A few hours have passed since the mission went live, but there's been no updates."
"Yeah," Cayde nodded as exhaled a sigh. "Which means either something happened… or he's making sure no one knows what he's doing. Relax. Trust him a little."
Ikorra exhaled sharply, her shoulders dropped but her eyes remained glued to the screen as he went quiet. But just then, her senses tingled. A strange prickly sensation jolted through her.
She darted to the window and looked up.
Then, a sonic boom tore across the Tower sky. Three streaks of silver cut through the clouds like arrows.
"Jumpships." Ikorra uttered.
They were fast, veering over the City's outer walls and angling toward the hangar.
"They're back."
Zavala was already moving to the rail, his eyes scanning the sky. "New Lights. Those are their ships."
"See, told you they'd be fine. Its about damn time you let them off the leash a little." Cayde muttered, though the tension in his shoulders visibly eased as he lowered his boots to the floor.
The trio descended from the upper level and crossed to the outer ledge, overlooking the courtyard far below. In a shimmer of Light, the fireteams transmatted in.
As the vanguard looked ahead, they saw the guardians in scorched armor and muddied gear.
"Damn..." Cayde's eyes narrowed as he saw their weary look.
Dumbledore stood a little taller than the rest, his Warlock robes fluttering with residual lunar dust. IEatPaint heaved a sigh and dragged his fingers through his matted hair. BearSpray limped towards the edge of the courtyard and jumped into the chasm below.
ThunderClappin rushed near the vendors, performing his ritualistic feral squat routine near the tower technicians. Waffles and TheOneWhoKnocks raised their voices arguing over loot drops. Undecided and ILoveLoot followed behind, the last to reappear.
Ikorra watched them mingle from above, her mind already calculating possibilities.
"I mean, I guess they're...fine?" Cayde mumbled, "They already had a few screws loose, so no harm done..."
But before she could say anything, the new lights ghost's blinked.
A stream of golden code burst into life over Zavala's gauntlet as the feed linked.
"Missions data received." Zavala spoke up.
He gave a subtle nod, and within moments, all three Vanguard leaders had linked their devices to the stream. A silent current passed between them, compressed images, recordings, sensor data, and combat metrics. Everything the players had seen. Everything they had endured.
A flicker of the Moon's surface. Waves of Hive erupting from the Hellmouth. Screaming Wizards. Ogres charging. The veil of mist that choked all visibility. Anchor of Light burning. The desperate last stand.
Then, unmistakably, Void's arrival.
Followed by another shock. A guardian, flaring silver, leaping into the fray without hesitation. His clones flashing like echoes across the battlefield.
And finally, old and hunkering Fallen Ketch, plowing through the lunar fog, lowering its anchor, and extracting the fireteams as the Hive threatened to overwhelm the entire region.
Zavala's face grew stone-like as he processed the last of the feed. Ikora's brow furrowed. Cayde just blinked and whistled low.
"Damn," he said, the first to speak.
Ikora exhaled slowly, her voice even. "That wasn't a patrol."
"No," Zavala agreed grimly. "It was a warzone."
"Void was supposed to investigate" Ikorra said with a sigh, "I guess sending in the New Lights undid that effort."
"Well," Cayde leaned against the railing, "Can't blame him, it went out the window when the Hive sent a dozen Ogres and a fog curtain."
Zavala turned to the others. "The Hive did seem a bit too prepared. Did they know someone would come?"
"They weren't waiting for us," Ikorra corrected. "It didn't seem like it. More so, the forces were probably already there. We can expect that the surging Hive activity is connected to it."
"And now they also know we're watching." Cayde said, waving a hand.
Ikorra turned to Cayde. "That ship..."
"Pretty stylish," Cayde nodded. "Snake circle's a little much, but I respect it."
"Right." Ikorra's eyes narrowed. "What I wanted to say, was that the design seems, archaic. What kind of vessel was that?"
Cayde scratched at his chin. "Don't know, aren't you guys in charge of keeping track of old stuff?" He pointed to Ikorra's warlock band.
"We do," Ikorra replied. "But that, didn't seem familiar at all.
Zavala nodded with a grim look, "There's more to this story, there has to be. Tell Void to we need to setup a call. As far as I'm concerned, he must've learned something. Whatever he dug up, no matter how small, is of utmost importance. We need to know what he found."
-
[Spider's Hideout]
The flickering neon glow of Spider's hideout cast warped shadows on the metal walls as Spider swirled his goblet, the dark purple ether wine glimmering within.
He sat slouched in his chair. Another similar chair was placed across him.
Spider laughed.
"Where was I? Ah Right....the House of Winter story." He grumbled.
Kaviss nodded, comfortable perched on the chair across Spider, a goblet of wine in his hand. Spider laughed as he continued his story. with his usual deep, gurgled chuckle.
"—and I said, if your dreg has more ambition than your baron, perhaps it's time to reconsider who's leading your House" Spider guffawed, his shoulders shaking.
Kaviss chirped appreciatively. "Even the other Houses aren't short of fools. Despicable."
They both sipped again.
And then the door burst open.
Void stormed in, cloak still dusted with lunar grit. He was panting, clearly not from lack of stamina, but from urgency. His gaze darted around the dim-lit chamber.
"Spider," he snapped. "Where the hell is—"
Then his eyes locked on the very figure he'd come hunting for.
Kaviss. Reclined, relaxed, savoring an ether-aged vintage in peace beside the very man who was supposed to be keeping him under lockdown.
Void's sentence crumbled into silence. His expression froze, the urgency dripping from his face like a leaky faucet.
Kaviss blinked at Void, slowly setting down his goblet with respectful precision. Spider, meanwhile, merely raised a brow, chewing on a odd fig of some sort.
"Oh!" Spider finally grunted. "You're back."
Void slowly turned his head towards him, one brow rising like a cresting wave.
Spider gestured drunkenly with his goblet as he slurred.. "You know, I've been waiting for you for days now, Viper. You're quite sloppy with replies.....Aren't you?"
A chuckled escaped his lips as his eyes narrowed, "Thought maybe the Hive got lucky."
"Alas! You're back" Spider hummed in thought as he swirled his wine, "Guess, this small party..."
Spider hicupped.
"Is over."
Void's forehead creased into a line as he facepalmed. "Why is he out of the pod?"
Spider leaned back in his chair with a huff. "Because he was going mad in there. You left him with me, remember? You disappear, don't send word, don't tell me what to do. What did you expect me to do, keep the poor bastard sedated until he turns feral?"
Void stared.
Spider clicked his tongue. "Look. He turned out to be a bit more... articulate than I thought. Quite civilized, even. Once I realized he wasn't going to start stabbing everything, I figured, what the hell? Gave him a translator patch and a bottle of good wine."
Void's stare sharpened as he glanced at the goblets. "Good wine?"
Spider audaciously held up a finger. "Which! By the way, you owe me for. That was one of my aged bottles, not the usual slop I give to guests."
Void exhaled, hand dragging down his face. "Fine. I'll cover it, just let me talk."
Spider nodded and rose with a grunt, grabbing his goblets as he waddled toward the door. "Good. Now that you're here, I'll let you two catch up. Don't break anything."
He left with a loud creak of the bulkhead doors, but just as he was gone he poked his head back in.
"Ah! Do prop up that bottle back in the case. But be careful, it's quite...delicate." He eyed the aged eliksni wine bottle he'd left behind.
Void groaned, hurriedly waving him off as Spider rolled his eyes and finally closed the door behind him.
Kaviss slowly stood up. He bowed low, Eliksni style, his spindly limbs moving with surprising grace. "Light-bearer" he said in a synthetic, monotone voice courtesy of the translator affixed to his neck. "I thank you. For saving me."
Void cocked his head as he gave Kaviss a quick glance. "Huh. So Spider did bother giving you a patch."
Kaviss straightened and replied curtly. "He also said, you'd be picking up the cost...."
Void chuckled dryly. "Sounds about right."
Kaviss's mandibles clicked thoughtfully as he paused. Then once he'd collected his thoughts, he spoke. "I know you didn't save me out of kindness."
Void's eyes narrowed, he slowly nodded. "I didn't."
"I am not offended," Kaviss said, his voice unflinching. "You saved me because you seek something. I am to understand, that I can help."
Void nodded. "That's the arrangement."
Kaviss picked up his goblet again but didn't sip. "Still. Had you not pulled me from that ether pod… I would've lost myself. Without the ether healing me, I would've ceased to exit."
The words were soft. Genuine.
Void said nothing for a long moment. He took a seat opposite the Fallen, arms crossed.
"So you'll talk?"
Kaviss nodded once.
Void leaned forward. "Start from the beginning. What are the Devil Splicers doing? Who's running them now?"
Kaviss hesitated, then he took a breath.
"I once served under Riksis. When he fell, the House was scattered, broken. Many stood for the archon's place. Many wanted to lead the Devils."
He leaned forward.
"But, no one could claim his place."
Void's eyes gleamed. "But someone did get the majority. Someone had to have led you. Led the splicers."
"Indeed" Kaviss corrected. "The splicers were strong. Their strength, came from their machines. Their implants. The House was divided. But then, he took over the splicers. With his ways, the splicers soon had the leading vote. "
Void's brows furrowed. "Who?"
Kaviss looked up, his eyes met Void's, and he took another breath.
"Aksis."
Void blinked. He knew that name well. Too well.
"His splicers. They were different." Kaviss said. "Or rather, transformed. No one knows where he got it from. Where he found the knowledge. His ways are harsh, but effective."
Void frowned. "Where is Aksis now?"
Kaviss looked down again, "I do not know."
Void leaned back in his chair, processing.
Kaviss added, "He is the one who put me in that cage. In that pod."
Void rubbed his temple. "What else was planning?"
There was a long pause. Then Kaviss spoke again.
"He wished to convert the entire house. To make us, part machine. To evolve us." Kaviss's words faded as he spoke, "He believed it was the only way."
Void raised a brow.
"Only way?"
"The only way to win versus the light."
Void nodded. His thoughts stirred as he absorbed all he'd learned. Then, he spoke up again.
"What of the House of Kings? The House of Winter? What were the Devils using them for?"
Kaviss's eyes gleamed with surprise, he glanced at Void again, this time his gaze held more caution. Despite his composed and polite demeanor he still remembered he easily Void had taken him down.
But now, what irked him more was just how much Void knew.
"The Devils wished for a parlay. A deal so to say between the Houses." Kaviss continued.
"Winter would provide lost knowledge, and the Devils would create new legions of Fallen."
"And the Kings?" Void chimed in.
"The Kings would provide everything we needed. Glimmer, ether, metal." Kaviss nodded as he shifted uneasily.
"Once it was all done, the Kings would raise their banner and then, all Fallen Houses would march on the City."
=
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