Chapter 3 ‘What was left of Venus was beautiful and very much like the majority of Earth, covered in foliage and decimated. The large city of Ishtar, a shell of its former self.’ These were the thoughts running through Arauro’s head as his ship passed over Venus, heading towards the vault. Once Arauro touched down, he radioed the rest of the fireteam the rendezvous point. Arauro’s ghost was scanning the area while they waited, in hopes of finding a way in. ‘Maybe it’ll be simple for once’ he thought hopefully. “Hey! Captain RoRo! You in there? Helloooo?” Arauro turned to Charlie in annoyance. “My name is Arauro-13. It is not RoRo. And I do not have a ranking, very much like the rest of the guardians outside the Vanguard and Crucible.” Charlie gave a simple shrug and turned to greet the rest of the team as they showed. Nyx stepped over to Arauro “Have you found any way in yet?” Her eyes seemed to be looking past him, as if in search of something far more important than his answer “Not ye-“ “Incoming!” shouted Jackknife, a knife flying between Arauro and Nyx into the core of a hobglobin. “Vex! Group up and take them down!” Arauro shouted. He pulled out his scout rifle and took aim. His shots flew forward with pinpoint accuracy, never missing their mark. After downing the last of the Vex in his sight, he turned to see who else needed help. Everyone had dispatched the Vex with ease except Leroy who was locked in combat with a strange Minotaur. Arauro’s eyes widened as he ran directly at it, gaining momentum and speed as arc energy swirled around him until he collided with the Minotaur and sent it back a little. Arauro turned to Leroy “Can you still fight?” Leroy rubbed his head “Yea. This bastard is a lot tougher than any Minotaur I’ve killed before” Arauro turned. “Yes it is. It took a shoulder charge directly and hardly budged. This is no normal Minotaur” They both looked up and barely dodged a punch from the Minotaur. Zora threw a fusion grenade, sticking to the Minotaur and knocking it off balance. “It’s a Praetorian. The guardians of the vault. At least… that’s what the legends have spoken of. If it’s here, the way in isn’t too far off.” Arauro turned to Leroy “Cayde says you’re one of his best scouts. Prove him right and look for an entry point. Take Nyx with you. We’ll hold this monster off until you find a way in” Leroy nodded. He sprinted past Nyx relaying the orders as he ran towards her. She nodded and was on his heels immediately. Arauro turned back as Charlie, Zora, and Jackknife all stood by his side. He switched to his shotgun. It was a basic prototype that fired in full auto. He was still working out the tweaks but it was still his go to. He ran forward and jumped over the Praetorian’s head, blasting three rounds into its back. Arauro smiled as it fell to its knee which quickly faded as it stood back up, completely unphased. “Damn thing makes me look like a lone dreg. This isn’t going to be easy” Leroy ran with his ghost floating within his palm, searching for they key. Nyx walked a few meters from him doing the same. Leroy clenched his teeth hearing his comrades in battle. He wanted that badly, the adrenaline of the danger. The chance he might lose his life, though he doubted it. He shook his head, shaking the thoughts from his mind. He looked down as his ghost called out his name “On the floor!” Its voice very light but swift as he raced forward. “This has a similar trace to the Praetorian. It must be the way in. I’ll do my best to open it up” Nyx ran to his side, her ghost already at work before she could stop. “Did you find the way in?” Leroy nodded and turned back in the direction of the Praetorian “Should we help them?” Nyx shook her head. “We have our orders. They can handle that thing. And if they can’t then we need to give them an exit.” Leroy let out a sigh of frustration then nodded. He pulled out his sniper and took aim at it “You focus on it, I’ll cover you and them” He laid out on his stomach and took aim, lining up his sights and quickly firing 4 rounds into the Praetorian. It hardly flinched “Damn it. Why won’t it die?” He growled in frustration. “I’ve got it” Their ghosts rang out in unison. “It needed a conflux which we’ve began to construct.” Nyx turned and spoke before Leroy could “Hurry damn it!” Arauro ran full force into the Praetorian again. A crash sounded out. Arauro turned to see a pillar of light begin to form. “A conflux? Did you find a way in?” He called over the comms. Nyx answered. “We think so. Our ghosts found traces matching the praetorian’s and are working as fast as they can.” Arauro cocked his shotgun. “Tell them to work faster. I think we pissed the glorified trashcan off” Jackknife interjected. Arauro unloaded an entire clip into it. The praetorian roared out, swinging its arm and knocking Arauro away into a wall. It stood over him as he tried to regain his composure. The Praetorian stepped forward and loomed over him, aiming it’s torch cannon at his face. As the cannon glowed Arauro lifted his shotgun to hear a burst of flames and then three loud shots. The praetorian screamed out and fell. Arauro stood, turning to look down at the three wounds in it. Arauro turned to Charlie who’s was holstering his gun “The bigger they are, the harder they cook” Arauro shook his head and turned back to the Praetorian. It groaned out and Arauro fired another clip into it. It began to disintegrate and fade away. Leroy’s voiced shouted across the comms. “That was awesome! Are you guys alright? Oh and the conflux is built and what I think is the door is opening behind us” Arauro looked up at the conflux and then the door “Everyone watch each other’s backs” He started walking into the vault “We have no idea what monstrosities lie beneath” Link to Chapter 2 https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/155941542/0/0/1