[i]Three Weeks Later…[/i] The sky was a brilliant blue, full of fluffy white clouds as Cayde flew towards the battle. He was supposed to lead an infiltration team and kill the Devil’s Kell while the First Brigade fought an air battle against the Fallen skiffs and did their best to destroy the ketch. Cayde wasn’t excited for that part. Being on a ship that was being destroyed while trying to kill a notoriously powerful Fallen leader wasn’t his idea of a good time. But, there was nothing he could do. He had a job to do and he was going to do it. “Cayde, we’re approaching the ketch. I suggest starting your descent.” Cayde’s ghost spoke softly. Unlike most Guardians who let their ghost control their ship while they travel, Cayde prefered to fly manually. He was old-fashioned like that. He thanked his ghost and flew downwards. He checked a few meters and got prepared to land. He looked back at where he was flying and was shocked at what he saw. The sky was burning. Or at least, that’s what it looked like. Cayde looked closer and saw that it was the Devil’s ketch that was on fire as Guardian ships fired explosive rounds into its hull while others traded deadly bullets with equally deadly arc bolts from Fallen skiffs. Cayde quickly turned his weapons systems on and sent out a broadcast to the rest of the Guardians on his fireteam. “Okay team let’s get cracking. It looks like there’s a docking area on the bottom of the ship towards the stern. I’ll meet you all there.” Cayde navigated through the battle, clipping a few skiffs and dodging a few bolts before landing. He jumped out of his ship as it disappeared and was greeted by a hunter in gold armor. “Hey Taylor, the rest of the team here yet?” Cayde asked the man. He shook his head. “George, Norm, and Mountain said they were almost here. Katrina was still pretty far out though.” Cayde shrugged and got ready to wait. He wasn’t the normal leader of this fireteam, but their normal leader had died during the Battle of the Cosmodrome. Cayde had known this team for several years and he knew they could get results though so he had offered to lead them for this strike. A few minutes later Katrina showed up moments behind everyone else. Cayde gave the order for everyone to get in formation before heading into the ketch. The fireteam moved quickly through the ketch without ever slowing down. Dregs, Vandals, and Captains tried to stop them, but as soon as any Fallen showed itself the Guardians put them down quickly and without hesitation. Cayde accounted for the majority of these, his hand cannon roaring with each shot. Within a handful of minutes they came across a giant door. Cayde checked his map and spoke; “Okay, the Kell should be behind this door. Mountain, come up here. I want you to drop a ward as soon as that door opens. Taylor, Katrina, I want you to send some void bombs in there to disperse any crowds. George, Norm, open fire on the Kell.” The team nodded and Cayde hit the control panel. The door slid open and all hell broke loose. Mountain dropped a ward and the entire front side of it lit up as a wave of arc bolts and scorch shots smashed into it. Taylor and Katrina stepped forward and through a wave of void bombs into the room and disintegrated dozens of Vandals. Meanwhile, George and Norm were launching bullets into the Kell. Unfortunately, those didn’t seem to be doing much as the Kell was still moving with ease and firing a scorch cannon. Cayde smiled as he loaded his machine gun. He had missed being in the field, but it had given him time to perfect his technique. Cayde stepped out of the ward just as his entire body lit up with solar energy. His machine gun burned golden and he aimed at the Kell. “Hey, does the Devil burn?” Cayde shouted as he pulled the trigger. A barrage of solar-infused bullets ripped into the Kell lighting his body on fire and causing the ether in his veins to ignite. The Kell let out a blood-curdling scream that was cut short as more rounds ripped him apart. Within a few moments, nothing was left except for a burning pile of molten metal and ash. The solar energy faded from Cayde’s body and he turned around to see the fireteam he had come with staring at him. He smiled. “I had some spare time.” Just then, an explosion rocked the ship, and the floor tilted down a dozen degrees. Everyone looked at each other, then turned and sprinted out of the room back towards the docking area. Cayde was trailing behind the rest of the fireteam as fires rapidly consumed more and more of the ship. “Cayde! The engines just got hit hard and are about to go! After that, that ship is going to go down! Get your robot ass out of there!” Ikora’s voice filled Cayde’s headset. Cayde sped up and managed to get to the hallway leading outside just in time to see a massive explosion consume the stern of the ship, including the docking area and his fireteam. “No!” Cayde fell down as part of the ship he was on tilted even further as it plummeted downwards. He stood back up and crawled to the smoldering edge of the metal. He looked at the fireball that had been the docking area but he couldn’t see anyone still alive. He let out a strangled scream of pain. Then, he threw himself off as the ship slowly crashed into the ground. As he fell, Cayde quickly summoned his jumpship. As the cockpit materialized around him, Cayde felt himself shaking. He’d wanted to get back into the field, but he hadn’t wanted to lose half-a-dozen friends in the process. Cayde handed control of the ship over to his ghost and stared at the sky. It was now a bloody red color mixed with dark, smoky clouds. A fitting sky for a terrible day. “Cayde! Are you alright?” Ikora’s voice crackled to life over the ship’s communication systems. “Cayde, are you there? Answer me damn it.” Cayde continued to stare out the window without saying anything. His ghost answered, “Ikora, Cayde is fine. He’s just tired from the battle and he fell asleep. I’ll make sure he gets back to the Tower in one piece.” Cayde could hear the doubt in Ikora’s voice when she replied. “Okay Hawk. Just take care of him alright? He’s a good man and we’ve lost too many of those today.” Then she closed the channel and Cayde mourned in silence for all of his dead friends. War had a terrible cost. [b]Please comment, like, and bump! I hope you enjoyed![/b] [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/124202898/0/0]Chapter List[/url]