Tale of the Phantom

Chapter 36: Entry Log 115 - 00:54:36

The Vanguard room is devoid of normal light, instead its filled with the orange of holograms, Cayde's blue eyes, and the eerie green of Eris Morn's corrupted power. The ex-guardian stands with the three leaders around the table listening to an open com system, waiting for it to click on once the mission is active. It's a tense silence and Cayde is fidgeting with his dice again, worry hinted on his face.

"How much longer you think?"

"They should be landing soon," Ikora answers with a small tense smile on her lips. "Don't look so worried Cayde, it makes you seem like you don't have confidence in them."

"It's not that," he argues, frowning, eyes on the hologram that is actually the form of a lopsided planet or moon. "Phobos has been quiet for over a week and then all of a sudden we intercept a distress call from the Cabal? You can't tell me this doesn't give you a bad feeling too." He's antsy and Sundance makes a chirping sound as if to comfort him but the Exo barely looks up at the feed.

"We all do," Zavala states, planting his hands on the table. "Bad feeling or not, it has to be looked into. Cabal rarely ask for help from their own people, it goes against their code. That's why Ikora is sending them in. Winter is familiar with the place and Skylar has worked with her the most out of the rest of the will have each other's back." He's right and Cayde knows that but it doesn't stop him from fidgeting, even as the open com clicks on.

"Owl to Nest," Winter's voice comes in with a bit of static. The Hidden often use code names out in the field for extra precautions. Being both from the Hidden Wing fireteam, Winter and Skylar use their call signs: Owl and Falcon, as for the tower, it differed a lot but the girls had come up with their own bird themed ideas. Ikora looks at both her teammates before answering.

"This is the Nest, we read you Owl. What do you see?"

"This is... something is wrong. The Cabal are fleeing. They aren't even trying to attack us." There's the sound of footsteps and then a few shots of gun fire. "Well, mostly." Over her own voice another is there, farther off but still recognizable as Skylar's even if the words are too muffled to understand at first.

"There's some kind of strange energy over here. Sterling?"

"On it," the southern accent Ghost answers and there a long pause while he analyzes. All three of the Vanguard and Eris exchange looks and Eris runs her hand over the green orb in front of her. "This...I'm not sure what this is." Sterling grumbles. "It's like energy, like our Light but not and somehow Cabal and... Hive?"

Cayde takes a deeper breath at the name but no one in the room comments on it.

"Keep moving," Ikora orders and both women agree and the feed is filled with running, gunfire and field talk. From what they're hearing it sounds like there's more of that black energy the farther they go into the base, and Eris whispered something so low it's not understood. Cayde looks as if he's about to ask before Skylar suddenly shouts over the mic.

"The fuck? Did you- that's not..." she stutters for a moment before she seems to get a hold of her own words. "Nest we just saw one of those black orbs swallow up a Cabal commander."

"What?" Zavala states flatly. "Repeat that!"

More static and a curse over the coms, an explosion.

"Just what we said 'Vala," Winter responds breathlessly. "It's just gone."

"The Whispers... they grow louder..." Eris is suddenly hissing, clutching at the green orb as if in pain. Zavala gives her a concerned look but all of them seem to realize that touching her is a bad idea so they don't move. "I will... endure."

Endure...

Static comes over the coms like a hailstorm, making Ikora wince, voices and sounds distorted and sharp. The room tenses and Eris hisses something again, a name nearly lost under the static. "He comes..."

"By the Traveler..." Winter whispers, her voice strained and half muffled. "Falcon watch out!" Stadic overtakes the feed again and Cayde curses under her breath as Zavala tries to get contact with them again.

"Falcon, Owl. Guardians? Do you read us?"

All they get in return is static and the sounds of battle - gunfire, explosions, and a shrieking sound mixed with a snarl. Ten minutes tick by without any response from either Hidden Agent and with each passing minute all three leaders seem more and more concerned and agitated.

Then finally the sounds die down and the static wanes.

"Vala, we had to retreat," Winter says over the coms, voice tired and grave. Cayde leans forward on the table, ignoring Eris as she murmurs over and over again in some dark tongue.

"Is Skylar..." he trails off, realising he's broken protocol but he can't help it, can't stand not knowing. Neither of his teammates seem to care at the moment, maybe that or they understand, Zavala's face seeming to have aged at the tone his sister is using.

"I'm-m... fine Cayde," the huntress answers over the comm, breathless and shaken. "We got out okay but... By The Nine, we are so fucked." She's not joking, her tone filled with dread and shaking slightly. She's scared and the look that passes over the Exo's face washes away any sarcastic remarks he might have had.

"We need to know what happened," Ikora states finally. "Report to us the moment you return, have your Ghosts ready to show us their captured feeds."

"Affirmative," Winter replies and then the com clicks off without another word from the huntress. Cayde looks from Ikora to Zavala, his hand clenched around the dice there. They all seem to want to say something, all taking glances at Eris, but no one appears to be able to get their thoughts out.

"Sir!" one of the Vanguard workers suddenly shouts from their place in front of a data screen. Zavala turns to look at them, waiting. "A guardian just reported in that a large ship has been spotted near Saturn. Their Ghost sent a shot of it."

"Pull it up on the holo screen," he orders and the worker nods, typing away for a few seconds before the images appears floating in the middle of the Vanguard table. It's a shot of Saturn, the darkness of space all around it. In the focused area is a ship much larger than anyone has ever seen, nearly as big as The Traveler. The dark gray plating, design, and the cold green glow of ship lights all point to one thing and it has Cayde cursing again and Eris shuttering and moaning.

Hive.