Walking through rugged metal hallways was a large Cabal in white and gold armor, three strips of red cloth flowing down his back, flanked by faux white wings. He wore a mask over his face, albino white with piercing red eyes. He had a large sidearm on his hip, matching the colors of his armor. He stepped through a large door into a throne room of some kind of warship. There was another Cabal there in red armor, a cape of scales barely scraping against the floor behind him, blind in his scarred left eye. The white armored one lets out a grunt before speaking.
White; "Consul."
The Consul gave a curt bow as the viewport went from opaque to transparent, giving the pair a view of the Earth from high orbit, old satellites crashing against the hull, leaving it undamaged.
Consul; "Dominus Ghaul... Emperor white and gold suits you."
Ghaul scowls as more ships begin entering the periphery of the observation window, at least a score of them.
Ghaul; "Enough pleasantries and compliments, Iago. I'm here for one reason only, and I intend to make this a clean operation."
Ghaul turned to a Psion that had entered the room, wearing armor the same vermillion as Iago.
Ghaul; "Sizmic, get the satellites offline and deploy cyber warfare measures."
The Psion nodded before vacating the room, the viewports beginning to glow with the heat of entering atmosphere, passing into a large storm cloud once the hull began to cool. Iago stood at Ghauls side as the thunder quietly roared outside the ship, lightning flashing occasionally.
Ghaul; "Hmph... The weather works in our favor for once."
Iago let out a singular, haughty laugh, looking to Ghaul with a meager smile; the best a Cabal face could muster.
Iago; "You're the emperor now, my boy! All things bend to your will. The-"
He's interrupted by a groaning alarm coming from the throne, an orange light flashing on the right arm rest. Ghauls expression softened and he hastily made his way to the throne, sitting in it as a holographic projection of a Cabal with tusks protruding from either side of their hooded face, adorned with a pale gold harness and a navy blue loin cloth over a loose shirt, their boots also pale gold. Ghaul spoke to her with a softer voice, as though a teacher speaking to a student.
Ghaul; "Caiatl."
Caiatl straightened her posture when she heard the voice of Ghaul, as though she could only hear him and not see him.
Caiatl; "Dominus. I take it you've arrived in Sol?"
Ghaul adjusted himself in his seat, throwing the strips of crimson cloth behind the throne.
Ghaul; "Indeed, we have. And what of Calus?"
Caiatl glanced over her shoulder before replying.
Caiatl; "My father and the Leviathan have entered FTL speeds; he is no longer in the Torobatl system."
One could imagine a smile creeping up on Ghauls face.
Ghaul; "Very good, young one. I knew you would be the one to take care of the home world in my absence."
Caiatl folded her arms over her chest, lifting her head so her tusks were at the same level as her eyes, said eyes a glowing amber color.
Caiatl; "Do you intend to bring this great machine back to Torobatl with your victory? Or will you carry it with your fleet into battle?"
Ghaul shrugged with a grunt as the clouds ahead began to thin.
Ghaul; "I will decide while the cage is under construction. Stay strong, princess. I will return victorious, or not at all."
Caiatl nodded as the hologram faded, the storm clouds giving way to the Traveler lazily hovering over a city bordered by an immense wall, a large tower ahead of them. Ghauls grip tightened on the arm rests as a communication came through from another Cabal.
Cabal; "Dominus, that tower appears to be their command center."
Ghaul replied with a knitted brow.
Ghaul; "Open fire, low yield warheads. Make them suffer."
Cabal; "All ships focus fire on the tower."
A deluge of rockets poured into the tower, causing explosions all throughout the upper structure, prompting Ghaul to huff in amusement.
Cabal; "Dominus, the citys anti-air defenses are still online; the Psion virus was countered swiftly!"
Ghaul groaned quietly as an even more immense ship passed overhead, harmlessly absorbing the anti-air fire as it expanded into a six pointed star shape, glowing a yellow-ish orange at the rear thrusters.
Ghaul; "Hmm... Someone was expecting us, it would seem. Have the Immortal circumnavigate the tower, the rest of the fleet shall keep the ground forces occupied until the cage can be erected."
Cabal; "What about an assault on the cage, sir?"
Ghaul chuckled as he stood, approaching the window.
Ghaul; "They wouldn't dare fire on their precious Traveler. We need only occupy them long enough to take their power... Then, victory is certain. Deploy squadrons to the tower!"
Cabal; "Yes, Dominus."
Ghaul watched the cage attach itself to the Traveler and begin expanding; long wires of metal and machinery to encircle the sphere. He lost sight of it as the ship moved to circle the tower clockwise, the boom of guns and drop pods being launched filling the observation deck.
Ghaul; "Get me a view of the tower."
The window fizzled with static, the view changing to the starboard side of the ship, circling around to the opposite side of the tower; the side facing the Traveler. He crossed his arms over his chest as the tower was broadsided with missiles and drop pods.
Cabal; "Sir, Psions on the ground are intercepting a transmission."
Ghaul; "Patch it through."
The voice that came over the thrones speaker was Human, feminine but stern and laced with worry, a twang of desperation as well.
"Zavala, the last of the shuttles is away; but the Speaker... He never made it. I'm going to look for him."
Ghaul growled quietly as the transmission cut out.
Ghaul; "Have any Psions detected this "Speaker?" If not, begin searching immediately!"
Cabal; "They're on the hunt, sir... Dominus, the Glykon Volatus is picking up a Human ship departing for orbit. Ground troops say they've captured Ixel."
Ghaul clenched his fists with a mix of a growl and a hiss.
Ghaul; "Send a Cruiser after them. Wherever they go, deploy fortifications and begin mining operations. Prepare construction for a shipyard as well; I'd rather not have all our forces kept exclusively on Earth."
Cabal; "Understood, sir."
Iago came alongside Ghaul once more as a shadow of a ship passed across the window, its silhouette barely visible through the screen.
Cabal; "Dominus, they've deployed a Human on the starboard landing pad."
Iago scoffed and turned to look at Ghaul.
Iago; "Just one?"
Ghaul; "One will be enough. Target their communications infrastructure and have Psions redeploy cyber warfare assaults; get those AA guns offline again!"
Cabal; "Understood!"
Ghaul; "And give me a progress report on the cage."
Cabal; "90 percent extension!"
Ghaul; "And the Human?"
The lights in the observation deck flickered.
Cabal; "Shield is down! I repeat, shield generator is down!"
Ghaul turned away from Iago and began walking for the door, his hands trembling at his sides in feigned calmness.
Ghaul; "Track them! Where are they going now?"
Cabal; "Top deck, port side!"
The door opened before Ghaul as he passed through the threshold, the communication moving to his mask from the throne.
Ghaul; "Send two of my blood guard their way. We shall meet them there."
The door closed behind Ghaul as he walked the halls, a pair of Cabal in gold and red armor flanking him on either side. He walked up a ramp onto the top deck to see a Human and their ghost; their armor made it impossible to tell gender, and Ghaul found them to be so scrawny and their armor so haphazard he wouldn't bother to tell if they were wearing a cloak, robes or a loincloth... But, he heard the voice of their drone, hovering only a foot from their shoulder.
Drone; "... How do we come back from this?"
Ghaul spoke as soon as he stepped into the light of the storm and the fight around them.
Ghaul; "You don't."
He continued approaching, gesturing to the Traveler with his left hand as the pair looked at him.
Ghaul; "Welcome to a world... without Light."
At the moment the Human and their drone turned back to the Traveler, an orange aura encircled the sphere, and a silhouette of cyan light separated from the Human, the drone sounding faint as they spoke.
Drone; "Guardian... Something's wrong..."
The drone fell to the ground and powered off, coinciding with the Human dropping to their hands and knees. Ghaul restrained a laugh as he watched them crumple to the ground, fists still clenched at his sides as the Human clutched their drone and pulled them close. When the Human looked up to Ghaul, he intensified his glare, raising his voice.
Ghaul; "Do *not* look at me, creature!"
He then kicked them away with his right foot, knocking the weapon from their other hand as they stumbled onto their back. Ghaul continued walking to them, speaking all the while.
Ghaul; "You are weak; undisciplined. Cowering behind walls."
The Guardian attempted to stand again, Ghaul maintaning a menacing saunter to approach.
Ghaul; "You're not brave... You've merely forgotten the fear of death."
Ghaul bent down to meet the Guardians gaze once they got to their feet again.
Ghaul; "Allow me to reacquaint you."
He reared his right arm and backhanded the Guardian, throwing them all the way to the edge of the ship and knocking the drone from their hand, leaving the Guardian to silently reach for it as it plummeted to the earth below.
Ghaul; "Your kind never deserved the power you were given."
The Guardian turned around and faced Ghaul, their arms hanging hopelessly at their sides as they sat on their knees, posture weak and wobbly.
Ghaul; "I am Ghaul... And your Light?"
He pointed to the Traveler as the Guardian lifted their head to meet Ghauls gaze.
Ghaul; "... Is mine."
Ghaul lifted his left leg and kicked the Guardian from the ship, lingering and watching them fall a few seconds before turning around, hearing the Cabal officer in his ears again.
Cabal; "Dominus. The Speaker has been located... There's someone else with them. They're asking to speak to you."
Ghaul let out a sigh as he began walking for the door back inside the ship.
Ghaul; "Get transmat systems online and put them in my observation room."
When Ghaul returned to the observation room, he saw a Hive rune circle flare with green flames, instinctively reaching for his sidearm. His eyes widened to see two Humans manifest from the flames; one was an Awoken Warlock in green and black robes, her eyes shining like emeralds. The other Human was beaten and battered, a white mask over their face, laying on the ground in a heap. Ghaul raised an eyebrow and approached with apprehension, still ready to draw his pistol.
Ghaul; "... Identify yourself, *Guardian*."
The Awoken chuckled lowly as she rested her right elbow in her left palm, examining the burns from the Soulfire on the tips of her fingers.
Awoken; "Call me Herra, you oversized marshmallow. I come to you with one very simple request; grant it, and I will turn over the Speaker."
She gestured to the Human on the ground as Ghaul stood near the top of the stairs, his right foot at the top of the steps, folding his arms over his chest.
Ghaul; "... And what do you request?"
Herra mimicked Ghauls pose, a smirk growing on her face.
Herra; "All the knowledge and research on the Hive you gathered from the Dreadnaught of the Taken King."
Ghaul took a moment to ponder the requisition, head tilted towards the ground.
Herra; "Do not ask yourself if you can afford to take this risk, Dominus; ask yourself only, if you can afford *not* to take this risk."
Ghaul let out a low growl before looking back up to meet Herras gaze.
Ghaul; "A Psion will beam the information directly to you."
Herra nodded with a widening smile as a Psion entered the room behind Ghaul, pressing two fingers to the side of their head. Herra blinked rapidly as the data filled her mind, Ghaul swiftly drawing his sidearm and thumbing the safety, firing a shot at Herra.
Herra; "Lokaar!"
The Awoken then disappeared in a flurry of smoke and Soulfire, making the round explode and shatter the window of the observation deck out. Ghaul growled and lowered his weapon before turning to the Psion.
Ghaul; "... Don't just stand there, bind him! I will speak with him as soon as he's awake."