The number of dregs and shanks surrounded the squad of rivals. They escorted the House of Winter to a human moon base covered with green banners. Frigoris stood up and looked at the guests. "House Winter? House Winter was destroyed thirty hours ago, was it not? Or are you the ghosts of it?" Frigoris walked around Braxis, inspecting his damaged and burned armor. Braxis was too scared to pull any tricks on this Fallen. "Frigoris, please return to House Winter. We need-" "Return?!" snapped the Baron. "When Draxsis was killed, we were suitable replacements for Kell-" "Yes, yes, I remember." "But you Braxis won over the House! How?! I don't know! Then you exiled me from the House!... Now, you come to my House begging for mercy and my help... Did you expect me to help you, or did you hope I would?" All the Fallen, from both Houses, gave the Eliksni brothers their space. Frigoris led Braxis into his "kingdom" to talk in private. As they talked, Frigoris got some refreshments for the two. "What brought you here, Braxis? I doubt it was 'family ties'. If that were the case, I'm sure you would be talking to Vekor now. You were closer to her than I was." Frigoris sat down across the table. Braxis looked down. "Vekor was killed. She failed Karrhis once too many and was slain..." "That news has escaped me. Our sister will be missed." "I came to you because I seek vengeance for my, our House. You can help deliver that vengeance!" Braxis leaned against the table. "For the last time, it is not 'our House'. The two Barons and the Baroness, brothers and sister. Destined to rule Winter together, but you exiled your family!" Frigoris slammed his hand on the table. "I.. I.. I know... I know. Look at your arms." Braxis pointed to his brother. Frigoris looked at three of four of his arms and looked up. "A Guardian cut off your upper right arm and cauterized the stump. It will never heal. Wouldn't you want to get revenge for that?" Frigoris looked at his arm, cut off at the elbow. He rubbed it. The topic was sensitive to him. Frigoris looked up, drawing his sword. "Get out.. OF MY HOUSE!!!" Braxis left leading the House of Winter back to their skiffs. Frigoris stood on an upper deck and watched his brother walk away. Lokir, Frigoris' second in command, walked up there too. "Get my pike..." said Frigoris. "Yes, Sir." Frigoris caught up to Braxis half way to Archer's Line. He cut them off and sat up. "I will help. But it is House with House. Not brother with brother as it once was." The two Houses traveled to the Hell Mouth. Thrall and acolytes watched the Fallen walk by. They were used to the House of Exile, but the blue wearing Fallen were causing a stir. Frigoris walked down to a Hive balcony where two knights and a wizard were standing. The knights stood fast, but the wizard approached Frigoris and flew around him, inspecting him. It flew to the other band of Fallen and inspected Braxis. The Winter Fallen raised their rifles, causing the wizard to summon an orb of energy! Braxis barked at them, telling them to drop their weapons! The wizard flew to Frigoris once again. "Why do you bring these strange animals into my home?" "They are no different from me, Da Xul. Just lost. They come to me for help, now I come to you." Frigoris replied in the ancient Hive language which Braxis has never heard. "They wrong me once, Frigoris. If they do so again, they will suffer my studies that you so narrowly escaped." Da Xul leaned close to Frigoris. The baron in green swallowed in anxiety. He looked back to Braxis. "Do as I do... or nothing at all." Braxis and his team watched as Frigoris and the wizard chanted spells. They waved their hands around and a green portal formed over the large pit. A large sickly green ketch formed. The wizard looked to Frigoris. "There it is. Your precious ship, Silent Hand." "Thank you, Da Xul." Frigoris bowed to the wizard as she dissapeared. Frigoris turned to the Fallen. "Here is our new vessel. It will serve us greatly." "Thank you, Frigoris. Now we must round up our soldiers." said Braxis as he looked to the vandals and dregs. Braxis started to walk away, but Frigoris snatched his arm. "I give you my help.. I give you my ship.. I give you my army.. I will captain this ship!" Braxis' only response was a low growl as he yanked his arm free. Braxis and Frigoris searched the caves and Hive temples for the rest of the House of Exile. Several Fallen in the Hell Mouth boarded skiffs and docked with the Silent Hand. "Lokir, take a team to the Temple of Crota to get more men." said Frigoris. "Yes, Sir." Lokir took five Fallen and left. Frigoris turned around. "Vokis, take your team to the Shrine of Oryx and bring up our men." "Yes, Sir." Vokis was another vandal. She was a great warrior in Frigoris' army. Braxis and Frigoris boarded the ketch and looked around. "Are the 'Hive' allowed to dwell in here?" asked Braxis as he sniffed the oder. "You might not get used to it... but years with them let me grow fond of it." answered Frigoris. Both Lokir and Vokis entered the bridge, where Braxis and Frigoris stood. "We have gathered all available warriors, Sir." "Good. Braxis, do you need anything else?" "Yes. Take us back to the Winter Lair." said Braxis crossing his upper arms and placing his lower arms on his swords. The ketch docked where the Winter ketch used to stay. Braxis, Frigoris, Lokir, and Vokis navigated the debris. "What do you want from here?" asked Frigoris. "When we rescued Aksor, several servitors and shanks were stationed to protect him... Sadly it didn't work. Fortunately for us, now, those mechanical works still scatter the ground. We can repair them." Frigoris nodded. The four Fallen took pikes and drove to the next cave. When they reached as far as their pikes could take them, they jumped up and walked down into the basin. As Braxis thought, shanks and servitors covered the ground. The old Prison of Elders cell still stood where it always had. As the four walked around, Braxis looked up to see small rocks tumbling from wall. He looked to the three Exiles to see if they noticed. Soon, twenty vandal snipers appeared aimed at the Exiles! Lokir and Vokis stood still, dropping their weapons. Braxis stabbed Frigoris through the chest! "Father told us of tough love, for friends and foes. Like you said, Frigoris, we work as separate Houses making us challengers. Since you are family, however, I will keep you in this stasis cell until this is over..." Braxis held his dying brother. Frigoris stayed alive just to hear the message. After Braxis finished, Frigoris' head dropped back. Braxis picked up Frigoris' body and stuffed it in the cell. Braxis looked to the other Fallen, Exile and Winter. "Collect as much as you can! We need as much as we can take!" The Fallen jumped down and collected the random scrap metal. Braxis watched the event, then noticed a servitor still intact. He turned it on and watched it float up. "Keksis-2!" The Fallen returned to the ketch. Every House of Exile member raised their weapons when Braxis returned without Frigoris. However, the House of Winter surrounded the Exiles, aiming upon their brothers. "House Exile is dead! You belong to me, to House Winter! We will everlast!" yelled Braxis as he walked onto the Silent Hand. The Exiles looked at each other. Half of them submitted themselves to the House of Winter, but the other half, including Vokis, ran to the surface. "Let them go!" yelled Braxis to his men. The remaining Fallen stocked up on arms, stored skiffs and walkers. Braxis removed the green cloaks of the House of Exile and replaced them with with the banner of the House of Winter. Lokir joined Braxis on the bridge. "House Winter has grown stronger after the crippling blow... I kneel to you, Baron." "Stand." Braxis turned to the traitorous Fallen. "Your old House Exile is dead and will rot away. House Winter will never die."