"What exactly is this Dead Orbit group?" I ask Rose over the comm channel as we speed toward the Skywatch on our Sparrows.
"Dead Orbit is a faction, one of three. There used to be more, a long time ago, but they were disbanded by order of the Vanguard."
"Why?"
"Well there was a war, and the City nearly collapsed and then the Fallen attacked... Differing views?" she mused nonchalantly.
"I'll say," I mutter in agreement.
"It almost put and end to us." Rose pauses. "You could've found this out yourself. What were you talking to Ikora about?"
"The library?"
"Yes, that. You know there is a public access library on the lower levels of the Tower, right?"
"What?" I burst out in surprise. "What am I trying to get into then?"
Rose hummed softly, accelerating as we start up the Skywatch hill. "Probably the private library reserved for scholars, Cryptarchs and Ikora herself. You honestly didn't know there was a library for everyone to use?"
"No, I really didn't," I replied flatly, my speed hitching as red appears on my radar. "No thanks to someone."
North doesn't deign a response necessary. I roll my eyes, slowing to a halt behind the Titan, who has picked up the threat as well and stopped at the first hairpin turn in the road.
Shaking her head, she looks back at me, drawing and readying her weapon in advance. "How long have you been awake?"
I hesitate, trying to tally up the days, but they've all blurred together. "Less than a week."
"No sleep?"
I shake my head.
"No breaks?"
Again, the same response.
"Cynical and limited answers to all your questions?"
I shrug.
With a heavy sigh, Rose puts her hands on her hips in exasperation, fixing me with a surprisingly motherly glare. "You'll run yourself into the ground at this rate."
I give a sniff of disdain. "I feel fine. The Light's supposed to sustain us isn't it?"
"It is, but you still need to take at least some care of yourself. Sleep isn't just for rest, its to clear your head, let your thoughts sort themselves out. If you work too much, you'll end up useless, Light or no Light." I try to protest, but she cuts me off. "No, no, I don't care what the Vanguard say, they have others they can send out on the job. As soon as this mission ends you're getting a night's rest and then maybe we can go check out the library."
"Alright, mom, if you insist," I tease, and she turns away, flipping the mag into her hand cannon and starting off up the hill on foot.
"Get that sniper ready. It'll be handy, if we can slip up unseen."
I nod, slipping it loose from my back and prowling after her. In silence, we creep up around the corner of the rugged old road, peering out from behind the end of the concrete retainer wall at our unsuspecting prey.
A Captain, and two Vandals, all preoccupied by our parked Sparrows down the hill. They're practically lined up for me. I glance at Rose in question and she gives me a nod. Quietly, I step out, and drop to one knee on the frozen ground. Scoping in, I find my first target- the furthest Vandal. I take aim carefully before firing. My shot proves true as he drops dead. The others whirl in surprise, but before they can fire a shot, the second Vandal has met his end.
My third shot is not so lucky. I manage to land it in the Captain's central body mass, putting a dint in his arc shield. Not enough to take him down, but its better than none. Rose is quick to follow my fire, advancing at a steady pace, each of her bullets penetrating deep into his armored body.
With the way cleared, we continue our path into the Skywatch.
I recognize the hallways we take as the same ones that led me to the Hive the first time we came here. Little chills run down my spine as we draw ever closer to the door.
"We're heading back to that Hive breeding ground," North says, his voice breaking the eriee stillness of the deserted halls. "The Vanguard says they're spilling onto the surface now, keeping the Fallen busy."
I shudder. "I bet they are. Almost makes me pity the Fallen."
"The Hive are horrible creatures, but the Fallen are little better," Rose replies firmly as we reach the formerly sealed door to the Hive's domain. She stops abruptly at the sight, crouching beside the comb like substances lining the walls and floor. Gingerly, she tapped one of the budding protrusions, which retracted with a soft hiss of air. Rose drew back in disgust. "What is this stuff?"
"No clue," I replied, nudging at it with the tip of my boot. "These are breeding grounds, so who knows."
The Titan stood and retreated further, whipping her hand around as if to rid of of whatever foul slime polluted this place. "Let's get through here quickly."
"Agreed," I said with a grimace. Our footsteps are the only sounds, as our Ghosts appear to hover at our shoulders, lighting our path up the darkened stairwell. All is quiet in the upper room as well. No Thrall wait in the darkness to leap out for me, no Acolytes hover behind the pillars, weapons at the ready. I still keep close to Rose's side, until we are through the far door and heading up the next staircase.
As the passage lightens, the screams of Fallen echo down from above, mixed with the wailing of Thrall. As we crest the stairs, I take in the scene.
Acolytes and Dregs exchanging fire from behind cover, while Thrall press forward in swarms only to be gunned down by Wire Rifle armed Vandals behind the Fallen defense. I sigh softly.
"I guess this is what 'keeping the Fallen busy' looks like."
"Busy. Right." Rose trails off, studying the enemy hoards. Then she tips her head at me. "You take the Fallen, I take the Hive?"
I nod. "Why not?"
Without another word, we spring into action. I hear gunshots behind me, as Rose sets after her prize, but I don't stop to look back, making a break for the Fallen. A Dreg screeches, stepping into my path to fight. I knife him mid stride and keep running, heading for the Vandal snipers in the back. There are only two. I leap up to where they stand, diving and rolling away as the first attempts to bludgeon me with the heavy end of his rifle. Springing to my feet again, I duck aside of another blow, driving my dagger into his midsection, with as much force as I can muster.
The Vandal gives a grunt of pain, gripping my shoulders with iron strength and tossing me back. I stagger a few steps before regaining my feet. With a low growl, the creature grips the hilt of the blade, yanking it from his gut with a hiss of pain. He lifts the dagger, dripping ether and off black blood and spins it toward me. I narrowly deflect it with my gauntlet, flinching back sharply and bumping into something on the second step.
A snarl reverberating in my ears, informs me that the thing is the second Vandal. Great. I dive away, lunging for my dagger across the floor. My fingertips graze the end, then my hand closes on the hilt. I twist around to find the first Vandal bearing down on me, face set in a snarl. With a yell, I drive the blade into this throat, catching an Ether pipe on the way in. He chokes and staggers away, clutching his wounds.
His companion snarls at me, a low sound, drawing a long notched blade from his belt. I clench my fist on my blade, ready for his attack. Starting small, then building comes the Solar Light. It races down the edge of my dagger, daring him to attack me. With a hiss, he takes the challenge, diving at me with immense speed.
I dive to one side, a slight yelp escaping my lips as his sword grazes my side, slicing through armor and flesh. I roll to my feet, slinging my dagger into his unprotected back. With a screech he falls.
Pulling the blade free and sheathing it, I duck behind a roof support to evade fire from the Dregs on the lower level. Peeping out, I fire down on them, picking them off one by one. The last takes a bullet to the shoulder, retreating back behind the door frame and out of range.
Determined not to let him get away, I spring after him. As I round the corner, I come face to face with a Thrall, standing over the Dreg's fallen body. It cocks its head at me with a soft hiss. A moment later a bullet goes through its head and it crumples in a pile of ashes.
Rose twirls her Hand Cannon on one finger, surveying our handy work. "Not bad."
"Not bad, yourself," I reply kicking at the heap of dust that was the Thrall.
Just then, North appears beside me, hovering out in open air, magnetic field extended to scan.
"What is it?"
"The Ghosts. They're in a clearing between buildings not far from here."
"The scouts' Ghosts?" I ask.
"Yes. Let's hurry!"
Turning, we break into a jog to clear the room and head outside via a door in the back. Outside the sun is shining brightly down on the barren landscape, the cloudless sky giving the dreary winter a spark of happiness.
"Still detect them?" I ask North, but it is Lily who answers.
"They're still here!" she exclaims. Then her tone falls. "Fallen have them."
"Let's find them then," Rose says with determination. I nod and we start off, leaping up over a bunker built into the ground. I've never been to this part of the Skywatch before, but it doesn't look much different. Ramshackle old buildings, rusted vehicles and planes with broken wings and desecrated hulls. The ruins of Humanity.
A flicker of movement ahead catches my eye. A few Fallen are clustered around a few old semi trucks. I wave for Rose to stop and she does. Under the combined fire of two Guardians, they fall fast, unsuspecting as they were. As we draw closer I notice something odd. A glint of light in the belt of one of the Vandals. Kneeling, I tug it free and discover it to be the half crumpled shell of a Ghost. The sight chills me.
"It's dead," North says softly.
I cradle it in my hands sadly. "Which means its Guardian..." The rest of my words are left to hand on the chill air. The dead Ghost evaporates from my grasp in a whisp of light, transmatted to our ship for later investigation. I clench my fist. They'll pay for this.
"We're going to find that array and finish their mission," I growl in a low tone. "Where do we go next?"