(Links to previous chapters in comments). The Vandal paused and looked back. It's name was Sken and it was a veteran of many battles across the galaxy. It had stayed alive thus far by trusting its instincts and they told it that there was something watching. The alien looked deeply into the shadows and stared back along the length of the passage it had just traveled searching for some sign that they were not alone. Nothing appeared amiss, and yet... The other Vandal growled in annoyance of the delay. Sken span back to face its companion and cursed it, threatened it and then returned to regard the tunnel. Nothing. It remained poised, alert. Still nothing. The other Vandal snorted in disgust and moved off to follow the Dreg. After a moment Sken followed. In the shadows Sken had been searching, the air moved. Light flexed, distorted and then with a blur a crouching figure materialized. Even now that it was revealed it was difficult to fully define. The dark dusty yellow, orange and brown hues of its armour blended with the rock around it to hide its exact shape and to render it an unremarkable natural feature if it remained still. An armoured mask with a thin optic visor covering both eyes and obvious environmental filters around the jaw covered it's face. Overlapping armoured scales wound down biceps and thighs whilst mesh fabric strong enough to turn most weapons and blades covered the rest of its limbs. A thick metal breastplate completed the armour and a hooded cloak of similar mottled colours pooled around its boots and completed the garb of a Hunter, a Guardian that roamed the wilderness to safeguard Earth and the forces of Light. It slowly stood, still gazing after the Vandal, the sniper rifle slung across its back almost scraping the tunnel roof. It raised its left arm and opened its hand. A small multi-faceted ivory machine materialised above its palm. Like the eye of a cyclops, a single blue lens in one side rotated to focus on the figure as it hovered in the air. "Where are they going Ghost?" The Hunters voice was distorted by its mask, but the tone was confident, strong and masculine. Waves of flickering light burst from the machine to wash over the nearby walls, ceiling and floor. "Multiple passages", the Ghost replied in an artificial yet distinctly feminine voice. "The tunnels are...old. Very old. They all converge on a large cavern just over a kilometre below us with some very interesting readings". "Define interesting". "It's like... It feels like you, only more so and...". The figure cocked his head at the small machine. "Like me but more so?" "No offence!" The Ghost said quickly. "Not like you specifically. It feels like... a well of Light, just... And there is something else that I do not understand. I've never felt anything like it. We need to get closer". "Then lets go" the Hunter replied. "There is nothing there". The Hunter moved closer to Cayde-6 as the Exo stared at a large paper map stretched over the corner of the large Vanguard table. The Hunter Vanguard gestured at it without looking up. "You see that?" The Guardian looked down at the map. Broken continents of scorched earth, shattered cities and uncountable dead stared back in pastel shades amidst light blue oceans. Multiple small dark emblems were branded on every land mass and most oceans, each represented known encounters with Hive and Fallen forces. The Fallen were everywhere, the Hive just in the area around The Tower. [i]For now[/i], the Hunter thought. They had yet to fully explore the rest of the planet and especially the oceans to know for sure what was happening. Exploring the land was simply a matter of time and priority. As for the oceans... The Fallen had made that troublesome. Indicators of their aquatic platform towers were scattered over the seas, each one a dock for multiple craft and a base of operations for hundreds of the aliens. Cayde-6 pointed at a small continent in the lower right of the map. "Australia". The Hunter looked at the landmass. Indicators of the Fallen were expectedly branded most on the coasts where the cities had been and interestingly also in the centre where there was nothing but desert. There was a conspicuous blank area on the west coast. The Hunter Vanguard tapped the space. "Nothing". "Why?" Cayde-6 looked up at him for the first time. "That's what I need you to find out". The Hunter followed the aliens at a distance, moving silently between shadows as the glowing lights from the Fallen's weapons and optics moved away. Gripping his pulse rifle, the Guardian thought back to Cayde-6's briefing. [i]There should not be Fallen here. [/i] The Hunter Vanguard had sent him here because something was keeping the Fallen away. The mission was to be exploratory, investigative. The squad he had seen attacking the humans in the desert and the two skiffs hovering in the air above had changed that though. The Fallen were obviously aware of what was happening and were taking action. This was now a race against time. The situation had changed and he needed to seize whatever the Fallen were after. [i]We need to tell Cayde-6.[/i] The Ghost's voice was soft and quiet in his mind as it read its thoughts. [i]Agreed, but we cannot afford to let the Fallen get away[/i], the Hunter replied with a thought as he continued to trail the aliens. [i]We tell Cayde-6 as soon as we can.[/i]