We responded to the distress call of Fireteam Jerrus in the Plaguelands, they were under heavy fire by corrupted Eliksni Forces, we were only a few kilometers away and could travel quickly.
Kraken-8, Veroksis (register under Helios-12), and myself came in onto Fireteam Jerrus south of what the Vanguard would designate as the Archon’s Forge. Preliminary recon, as well as the reports from Jerrus, made it clear that Jerrus had in some manner agitated the Splicer forces within the Forge, as multiple hostiles were surrounding the entrenched ship wreckage as well as two SIVA infested Spider Walker heavy mechanical vehicle.
Veroksis was first onto the ground, and quickly re-positioned to a higher elevation, and sets up his rifle to pick off any high value targets within the mixed mass of Splicer forces.
Kraken and myself were shortly after on the scene, and quickly began making our way to the exposed flank of the enemy forces. Kraken was the first to spot Fireteam Jerrus, hunkered behind the torn wing of a Golden Age spacecraft, doing their best to avoid the heavy fire and the cannons from the Walkers.
Veroksis started firing upon the Vandal snipers perched around the crash site, while Kraken threw her two incendiary grenades into the mass of Splicer Dregs and Vandals. I set about to disrupt the Walkers with a Storm Grenade, our combined attack disorienting and forcing the Splicers to focus their attention on us, giving Jerrus some time to recuperate.
[Action report continues for some time, before reaching a warning.]
*WARNING. REDACTED INFORMATION AT THE BEHEST OF VANGUARD COMMAND.*
//Override Access Initiated....//
//Override: EDZOPT19954.//
//Redaction Temporarily Removed.//
Kraken-8 had suffered multiple injuries during the engagement, Veroksis had lost one of his secondary arms, myself having suffered a Wire burn from a Splicer Vandal in my upper Biceps Brachii and Coracobrachialis muscles, rendering my left arm inoperable till Horus could reattach the muscle groups and nerves once the firefight would end.
Fireteam Jerrus had been able to recuperate and cause significant disruption and damage to the Splicer forces. However the intense conflict had attracted the more elite forces within Archon's Forge, and the heavily augmented reinforcements sallied out and started to close in on our positions, not allowing either Fireteam to garner an advantage.
Kraken-8 had begun to show signs of either psychological duress, or her EXO frame had started (for lack of better terms) to glitch. Byte, Kraken's Ghost, was attempting to focus her back to the present but seemed unable to establish any connection with her. Without warning, Kraken froze up and her bio-metrics flat lined, before suddenly returning to the present as if nothing occurred. However her mannerism and voice had now,, changed.
[Attached here was a short series of still images, captured via the armor cams of Tez'sara as well as stills granted by Byte. They reveal a battered Kraken, her plate armor rent and torn in various points, parts of her under armor plus her mechanical skeleton. In the first images, Kraken is seen clutching at her head, her helm no where to be seen, and showing her usual amber and blue lighting. The after moments, revealed her lights now a deep bloodied red, her eyes distant and irises blown out to the max.]
The entity that was Kraken-8 seemed to have taken over by another sentience or programming, as Kraken now spoke in a purely synthetic tone, additionally lacked any emotional or instinctual thought process.
[An audio recording is attached here, only a few seconds, but enough to sink home to point Tez'sara attempts to make.]
// "W.A.R Program active. Gathering battlefield intel, topographical data, available assets, ammunition and ordinance counted. Processing. Processing. Completed. Assessment complete, objectives set. Unit 003, designation KRAKEN, tasked with fulfillment of Primary Objective, elimination of hostile entities. Commencing." //
Kraken, or whatever was in command of her chassis, proceeded to leave her cover and advance onto the Splicer forces, moving at a pace I had not witness her capable of in the past few decades. The agility and force required for what she accomplished that day,, I am assured in my assumption that she is unaware of what lays within her.
[The report has numerous record logs, both from Baroque and Jerrus, along with dozens of stills and cam recordings, displaying the ruthless mechanical tearing into the Splicer forces. The reports goes on to say that once the Eliksni were dealt with, the entity in control of Kraken had then attempted to attack Fireteam Jerrus, before being knocked out by Veroksis and restrained. A few notes had been appended to the report, by Zavala, Ikora,, and Shaxx.]
// Z: I want regular check-ups with Kraken-8 from now on, and no longer will she be sent onto high-risk zones until we can ascertain as to what we saw. This report will be classified until I give the clear. //
// I: I have not heard anything of this WAR Program before,, nor has any other Exo Guardian or Warlord displayed this manner of ability nor upgrade. I have sent my Hidden and Agents to scour for any information or clues to this,, however we are dealing with Clovis Bray technology, much of which has been lost to time. //
// S: This, is not the Kraken I know. Whether it is some Golden Age program or Vex manipulation,, I will personally tan their hide and atomize their twisted husk into oblivion. To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man. //
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She fought with a grace I had only experienced once upon my many lives, and I was on the receiving end that time. That Warlock left ashen remains in her wake, her eyes deep like the glimmering void she came from. A Titan tried to break her under their blade, only for them to be flung bodily like a broken doll. I swear the hole in their armor was large enough for my whole arm to go through! Oh what I would give to see her in the Crucible again... though, in honesty, I think she has not returned, because of what she felt during those clashes. For a brief moment, I am still not certain if what I saw was real, but she grinned. And Tez'sara, never, grins.
Lord Shaxx, Crucible Handler, Pre-House of Wolves Events.
Tez’sara watched as the slowly crumbling body of Oryx fell into the gravity well of Saturn, what energy in his body flickering over the ashen body, tumbling, in a silent roar.
“Tez, come on, we need to get out of here before the Hive come swarming to this place.” The Warlock looked over to the fireteam, who was busy checking over each other for wounds or shrapnel. Kraken-9, Veroksis, Circe, Joan, and Polaroid. Friends and allies. Tez felt something though, as if something was missing,, as if the fight with Oryx was not yet over.
“,, something is amiss. I feel that our conflict is not yet complete,,” Tez spoke softly, while her Ghost Horus slips into reality, tilting with some concern.
{You are a Guardian. The only thing between your City and annihilation. Every Mortal and Guardian counts on you. All of them look onto you. Your entire existence is a play: Wield your Light, or die of Darkness.}
Kraken steps closer, holstering her shotgun “Tez? What do you mean not complete? Oryx is dead, we broke his magic and his Court. Eris said this would end his reign,,”
“End his reign yes,, but his Throne and his Throne World,, they need someone to control them. To keep their leash tight. Keep the Hive and the Taken in check..”
Kraken now got uneasy, that synthetic sesation of a twisting gut feeling. “Tez, now is not the time to go deep down the rabbit hole so hapazrdly. I think the Death Song might have messed with you v little bit. Seriously, lets g-.”
{You have been Taken.}
“I am not joking, Kraken.” Tez’sara takes a poerful stance, her fists clenched, shoulders set and feet shoulder width. Kraken knows her long time friend means it, but why this action? Why is she doing this? Why? Tez’sara peels off her helmet, her deep purple hair barely coming free before it begins to frost over from the vacuum of space. Her once bright eyes now look glassy, gray, staring hard at Kraken and the Fireteam.
{Take off your bond. Place down your weapons. No foe stands before you. Nothing is judging your frailness. What are you confident about? What keeps you strong?}
Polaroid is the first to react, swinging up her handcannon, aiming at something behind Tez’sara, her hand trembling slightly but the leses in her Nighthawk glowing fiercely. “Wh,what is that?”
Joan and Circe are unnerved, while Veroksis is growling at Polaroid, trying to swat away the pointed gun. Kraken is distressed now, trying to make sense of it all,, till she sees it. An edifice of Hive chitin and rock, forming up behind her friend, a mockery of the shape,, of a Throne, more fitting for a Hive God-King.
{You were regal once. You feel it. You wear the memory of supremacy, so that you can inspire. But power asks for challenge. Everything that sees your colors and your realm wants to kill you and burn what you command.}
“Tez’sa-” Kraken begins to speak before her body is flung back along with the rest of the Fireteam, tumbling over the cracked ground and stone paving. Veroksis is the first on his feet, glowering at the woman that once he called Teacher. The Awoken Warlock was now rising off the ground, her azure skin covered in a film of ice and shadows, ethereal smoke dances over her robes and flesh. Taken energy,, like Oryx.
“I am no longer Tez’Sara. I am not Awoken. I am not a Warlock. I am no longer a Guardian.” her voice was cracking, taking on an inhuman timbre and pitch, like grating sand over glass. Her robes taking on a shredded appearance, her hair growing long and shock white, her nails turning into talons
{If you cannot rule yourself, you must make them yours. There is a blade for you. It is shaped like [crown over all]. Take up the blade. Breathe the blade. Take your new shape.}
“I am Tezarûn Yul, The Taken Queen!”
(Guest appearences! Circe by @spookgeist, Joan by @nightpiercer , and Polaroid by @zennore ! )
Ikora Rey was busy with a series of new reports from Mercury, and as she continued reading her frown would grow deeper. Her Hidden were worried of the possible repercussions killing the Undying Mind would have on the balance of power among the Red Legion and the Vex. And their current findings were not comforting for Ikora.
The Vanguard leader sighs deeply, setting down the datapad onto her desk, littered with other tablets and scrolls that have come to her the past few days. Ikora rubs her temples lightly, slowly sitting herself down on her chair. What in the Traveler's name is going on Mercury?
“Lady Rey? Are you feeling unwell?” A soft voice broke the Warlock’s attention, making her snap up to look at whoever had approached her, to see the brilliant eyes of Tez’sara.
“Ah, Tez’sara. No, I am not ill, just trying to wrap my mind around the latest reports. They are,,, time consuming.” Ikora sighed wearily, not the first first time that afternoon. But,, Ikora looks again at the Awoken Elementalist before going wide eyed.
“Tez’sara,, what happened to your hair?”
Tez’sara looks sheepishly at her commander, tapping her digits together. Where her brilliant azure hair once was styled like many others in her kind, with a wide swept bang to the side,, now was a more Spartan close cut, while leaving some hair on her top to be styled with erratic peaks.
“I uhmm, may have gone down to the City, and went to the hair dressers,, I wanted to try something more,, different,, more,, me?” Tez spoke softly, not used to being so bold,, the hair do and the visit was in a moment of a spur of the moment affair, and going along with some of the local girls at the salon.
Ikora needed a few more seconds to take in the new look, before smiling lightly. “I believe it suits you, one I got past the initial surprise. It fits you more than the Awoken hair style you had before. Its,, you.”
Tez’sara sighs in relief, her nerves slipping away, letting her stand up straight. “Thank you Lady Ikora. I just wish,,” and now her resolve falters for a moment, unable to finish her sentence. Ikora knows all to well what her agent wished to say.
“He would have loved it, Tez’sara, I know that for certain.”
Gun fire cracks through the rusting streets of the Parisian Necropolis, semi-automatic fire punctuated by whining wire-rifle discharges. A Fireteam, two Titans and a Warlock was fighting their way through the large avenue, using the decrepit trucks and cars for cover. The Fireteam had followed a large pack of blue draped Fallen to this region of the European Dead Zone, and confirmed their suspicions. The House of Wolves were still active, and on Earth.
Echo-7 lobbed a inciendary grenade into a group of Dregs, setting them alight and getting them to scatter, allowing the Team to advance. “How many do you think there are of these bastards? They look well rooted in here,,” The male Titan looked over to the duo, this was their team to begin with, he was only invited in cause they were missing a third.
The female Exo Titan hummed before taking a few shots from her scout rifle into a Vandal up on a roof top. “Given its been years since we last saw these guys, I might say a few thousand? But who knows, we do not have any outposts out this deep. Could only be a few more dozen and thats it.”
“Given the rate of reproduction documented among the Eliksni, I believe Kraken might be correct in her estimate. Though this does mean we must be cautious in our advance, so we do not get encircled by the Wolves. Plus, given we are deep inside the EDZ, I do not think Commander Zavala may be so generous in sending reinforcements.” The Awoken Warlock spoke up while emptying her hand cannon in to a small group of Repeater Shanks, then tossing an Arc grenade into a building where she spotted a few Vandals. She curses as the grenades comes short however.
Echo is still getting used to the walking xeno-pedia of a Warlock, how she talks as if she was always performing a lecture to Cryptachs. But Tez’sara was quite the skilled fighter, so he keeps mum about it. Plus, its not often you get to fight alongside the Sunbreaker Kraken-9 and her closest companion.
Echo moves forward, swapping to his rapid fire shotgun, and making quick work of a few staggering Dregs. But he is young, and over-eager still. He passes a large over turned truck, as just as he makes it past it, a large figure slams into his side and flings him into a car wreck.
“Echo! Shit, a Captain already? Tez, get a Bomb re-”
“Kraken, that is not a Captain class Eliksni. It looks,, human.”
Kraken blinks behind her helm before she rounds the corner to take a closer look of the new attacker. Echo was rising up from the ground, rubbing his head while the large human like figure skulked against the shade of the truck. The figure was maybe the same height as a Captain, but was much slimmer in stature, and did not have any shock blades or shrapnel cannons. Its gleaming red eyes flicked between the three Guardians in a wary stance, its tapered fingers clicking against one another.
“What in the name of, comere!” Echo raises up his shotgun to take a shot at the new attacker, only to see the figure duck down and scuttle the short distance like a Vandal would, the buck shot missing its target. The attack strikes at the knee, before doing a spinning kick to send Echo’s head down into the hood of the car, resulting in a resounding clang and crunch.
The Figure grips into Echo’s head and gives a violent jerk, snapping the Titan’s neck in a shock of sparks and sputters of oil.
“Wow! Tez, bomb now!” Kraken fires off a few rounds with her scout rifle while Tez leaps into the air, gathering Void energies into her hands, before sending it all crashing down onto the figure. It starts to scuttle away, but the resulting explosion of energy and flying cars clips its, sending it sprawling into the calcified stump of an ancient tree. The being gives a short bark in the Eliksni tongue, before it pulls out an autorifle and spraying at Tez, forcing the awoken female to duck back into cover.
“It appears to be using human weaponry Kraken, I have a suspicion it is not an Eliksni. Human sympathizer? Jury Rigged Exo? Wha-” Tez’sara starts to ramble before getting elbowed in the ribs by Kraken.
The firefight continues for some time before Kraken-9 manages to knock out the strange being after the Eliksni had strangely run off following the creature’s barking what seemed to be orders. Echo just had been rezzed, and was checking himself over “What in Felwinter’s mustache is this guy? He does not look,,”
“, like a Fallen? Yeah, we noted that. Plus, guy was using an Hakke autorifle, pretty worn down gear, and well,, “ Kraken answered before looking over to her companion Tez'sara who was inspecting a charred piece of metal, broken off from a smoldering car wreck.
“He could wield the Light. He used some variant of Hunter’s Golden Gun on us. The devastation you see is from the single shot he fired.” Tez'sara indicated the large scorched crater that now took up half of the avenue beside the Fireteam.
Kraken-9 knelt down beside the curious body, before undoing the helmet, slowly and gingerly removing it to see the user. "Well ffff, frakk. It's an Exo. So he's a Guardian. But where is his gh-"
"Right here!" An azure shimmer appeared near Kraken's shoulder, the Ghost's shell a weather white and marine blue. "I tried to talk sense into the idiot, but since you shot and killed some of his nest mates, he kinda just saw red, and went all out."
"You mean to say,, this pack of Eliksni had accepted him into their fold?" Tez'sara quickly trots over, eyes focused on the Ghost.
"Yep! It's been a crazy ride for sure. So, let me introduce ourselves. I'm Ker'shan, and this idiot is Veroksis, Captain in the House of Wolves, under the rule of Baroness Koris."
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Christmas/Yule with a few of my characters. Thought this would be a nice long write in different verses with similar themes.
Enjoy it all below the cut!~
The Tower, Last City, Earth.
Amanda Holiday was working on a jumpship's turbo arc-injector, it had been her latest project the last few days and it was going nowhere. Grumbling, she tosses her spanner into the nearby toolbox, muttering some manner of obscenities as she stormed off to her alcove.
Her assistant-frame clinks over to reorganize the contents of the tipped over toolbox, as Amanda drinks from her water flask, still muttering and trying to solve this latest conundrum, when a gentle voice spoke.
"I do hope I am not disturbing you Miss Holiday." Amanda turned round to see an Awoken Warlock, with that sharp styled hair and dimly glowing golden hues.
"Nah, you're fine Tez. Just this ship got my springs all wound up and it ain't giving way for me. Sigh,," the blonde human combs ran her stained gloves through her messy hair, leaning against the steel frame of her little shack.
"Maybe you need to take your mind off of the,, springs, and look at something else for a bit. Clear your mind, see things in a new light." Tez'sara chuckles quietly before pulling out a parcel for Amanda, bound in emerald green paper and silver ribbons.
"Happy Dawning Miss Holiday." Tez'sara grins broadly while Amanda laughs softly, taking the gift and plopping herself down onto her workstool.
"Aaaw, Tez you shouldn't have. This is adorable, thank you baby. I got nothing for you tho-"
"I think you have given me a lot over the years Miss Holiday, and you've helped me more than just fixing up my ship. You've lent your ear and your thoughts to me."
Amanda smiles tenderly, what weight on her shoulders slipping away as she opened up the gift, to reveal a set of new tools of curious design. "What in tarnation,,?"
"They adjust their heads to wrap about what you are working on, so I call them 'Morph-keys'!" Tez'sara bounces a little excitedly while Amanda looks over the tools, holding up one the keys, before having a light bulb moment.
"Wait wait a hot second,, maybe,, yes! I think you helped with my problem!" Amanda rushes back over to the jumpship and a few second later, the drive roars into life, the turbo arc-charger purring happily.
"Ha ha! It worked! Tez, I swear I could," Amanda whirls around to look for Tez'sara but found that the Warlock has gone, her smile dropping slowly, "kiss you.."
Tyran sat at the edge of the cliff, overlooking festivities below in Stormwind. The humans, the elves, the dwarves and gnomes have decorated the city with lights and baubles, great pines from Dun Morogh set up in the squares and plazas.
Winterveil was in full swing below, yet Tyran sat alone at the top of the cliff, alone. It has been months now since the war between the Alliance and Horde started in earnest, and Tyran had now left the adoptive home of the Horde. The aging dragon, in his Orc form, sighed deeply, a dense cloud of hot air billowing away.
"There you are, I was wondering where I would find you,, you always had a sweet spot for this city."
Tyran tensed up as he heard that melodious voice, and did not need to turn to see who it was approaching. The armored heels cut through the snow with ease, the flowing red shawl and cape floating behind, as the Queen of the Red Dragonflight approached Tyran from behind.
“My Queen,, I thought you did not wish to see me,,” Tyran spoke slowly, turning his head slightly away as Alexstrasza stood next to the cliff edge.
“Tyranastrasz, I required time to process my emotions and mind. I mourned your passing, I saw your blood stain those tiles and the claws of Deathwing, your corpse dragged away to be burned or butchered or worse. Decades pass, and we all mourned.Then, my beautiful daughter Elestrasza, comes home with you in tow, not truly realizing who you truly were. I,” Alexstrasza falters, having started so strong but now those emotions she thought sorted come welling up again,”I saw right away. It was you, alive, changed and scarred, but alive. I was shocked, overjoyed, furious, lost and found,,”
Tyran closes his eyes, his chin dipping to touch his chestplate, sighing deeply. Alex clenched her fists, her clawed fingers digging into her palms before she relaxed. “You came back from the dead, I had just come to accept your loss, I had found a new consort and started a new clutch,,”
“Twas not my plan to disrupt the peace you had created, My Queen.” Tyran spoke quietly, but Alex heard clearly.
“I am not your Queen, Tyranastrasz,,”
Tyran flinches, his eyes squeezing tightly as he waited for whatever was to follow those words. He expected a blow, a vicious blow of words, something. But, all he felt was those warm hands gingerly caress and trace over his jaw and cheek, contrasting to the biting chill winds whipping the mountain.
“, you are my husband, my King, my closest companion I had ever had for millennia. Always by my side, the soundest of mind, and the fiercest of warriors. There can be no true comparison for such a man as you. Queen is not sufficient enough of a word to used.”
Tyran opened his eyes, looking into the glimmering hues of the Lifebinder, and smiled wholeheartedly. As the sun begins to dip behind the mountain, lovers once separated, are reunited.
30km off the coast of New York State, United States of America, Earth.
The massive vessel slowly drifted over the soft waves of the North Atlantic, its heavy engines and drives idle. The deep red and blackened armored hull almost indistinguishable from the night sea spray, salt and ice staining the void hardened metal.
Galaxus slumbered, the great carrier resting in these short hours of the early morning on Earth. The waves on this great ocean, he had found soothing to him, and would often land here when he felt weary from the conflicts and travelling. On board, many of the gang were either resting or tinkering with their hobbies. but some could not dictract themselves.
Cometstrike tapped her talons lightly against the bulkhead door, a door that led outside onto the outer hull of Galaxus. She wanted to fly for a bit, but knew it would reveal the position of not only herself, but also of Galaxus and the gang. Given the humans latest activites and organizations,,
A blast of chilled wind hits her visor as she exits onto the outer hull, icy water getting kicked up by the crashing waves against the hull. Acitivating her mag locks in her feet, the female Autobot walked along the top of the carrier till she was half way down. As she looked up into the night sky, she could see the myriad of stars and constellations softly glowing in the vastness of space.
She hesitates again, the call for flight is strong here, the whipping winds, the clear dark skies, the thrill of evading detection. But the sight of the night stars distract her.
The golden dermis and neon azure lights glint against the dark waves and armor. Lost for the moment.
“You cannot rest, but you cannot attain excitement for risk of bringing danger to your companions.” Cometstrike whirls around with her blades drawn, the visor locking onto the source of the voice, only to see no one around. Comet looks around again, before looking down to spy an opened service duct, revealing what looks to be a speaker of sorts. Sighing softly she retracts her blades.
“Aye, do not blame yourself Galaxus, I enjoy your hospitality but I do feel sometimes confined within your hold and walkways. I want to feel some openness and freedom, to feel myself soar again, breaking the sound barrier.”
“Nothing to apologize for sister. I know these emotions deeply. Even as we speak, I wish to feel the chilled embrace of the Void, the rumble of my drives as I traverse the stars, to find new realms to explore and to feel the silent roar of combat in space.”Â
“,, I recognized you, you know? When you and Earthquake offered to save Starlight. I did not say anything at the time, but I knew whom you were. You were at the Battle of Cretus Tertius, it was the first time any of the Autobots saw your kind. You and your siblings d-”
“They were not my brothers and sisters. I was awake, they were machines, forced into a war not of their own. They saw and killed, but could not get rid of Megatron’s leash. I resisted, I yanked on the chains they tried to bind me with. But the damage was done, and it would take me many years before I got the shackles removed.” Galaxus rumbled softly, the hull shuddering slightly underneath Comet’s feet, but they soon went away.
“Since then, I have fought against the shackle and chain, the rule of tyrants, and that anyone should follow their Spark in their inter-celestial flight across the sea of stars. Like you once did, long ago.” Comet snaps to look back down at the speaker system, squinting behind the visor before she feels something soft beginning to fall on her dermis.
Soft petals of snow had begun to fall down over the Atlantic, and starting to dust over the large carrier and Comet.
“,, remind me what day it is Sister?”
“On Earth, it is the 25th of their twelfth month. Why?”
“Then in the traditions of Earth, may I wish you a Merry Yuletide. It is a time to look to one’s family, think of the future, and what bright goals you set to better yourself, and to aide those you call friends and family.”
