Enjoy! Five Years Ago Acid rain poured over the night sky of Venus. Lance could smell the sulfur leaking into his cracked and broken armor. Smoking husks of metal and green ooze splayed around him. His muscles ached as he held one arm limping across the field. A crashed skiff provided good cover as he collapsed to his knees. Truth broke from the holster falling into the dirt. “Is there anyone out there,” he panted over the coms. There was static and a loud hiss as the circuits burst in his ears. “Shit,” he spat. “Do you need more heavy ammo?” Charlemagne asked, materializing before Lance. “Yeah,” Lance pulled up truth as Charlemagne materialized a large blue brick of light energy. He broke it open and reloaded the rocket launcher. A cloud ripped into the surroundings, static and color that of a dead television channel. Electricity bolted to the ground as more machines dropped into battle. Their mechanical calls a battle cry and their eyes glowing red. “Is there anyone out there,” Lance panted again. “This is forward Titan scout Lance –” he was interrupted by a Fallen battle cry. Dreg, Vandals, and a pair of Captains emerged from the entrance to the lab and archive. Static once again burst through the electronics of his singed armor. Peaking over the small embankment he eyed the factions closing in on him and each other in a multi-pronged assault. Pulling Truth to bear, he fired a trio of rockets at pockets of enemies relishing in the screams of agony from the explosions. A hail of return fire pelted the ground in front of him and his shields. Ducking back, he reloaded. “I don’t have anything else to synthesize materials from,” Charlemagne urgently said as Lance took aim once more with his final three rockets. As Lance aimed, biting the inside of his cheek at the inevitability of the outcome, a new cluster of dead television clouds and static filled the air. The Fallen also reinforced their troops with fresh Dreg and Vandals. Arc energy blasts and solar lasers flew past each other in a flurry of burning light. Detonations of energy burnt the foliage and cratered the fresh soil. Lance fired two of his rockets at the seemingly endless hoards. Ducking behind his embankment to recharge his shields he took a deep breath. “Can we make a break for the library?” Charlemagne inquired. “Doubt it,” Lance panted. “Legs feel funny, arm is busted, armor in a mess.” “Hasn’t stopped you before.” “It’s the sheer numbers out there this time. Even a well-placed Fist of Havoc wouldn’t help this time around.” “I see, any luck on the coms?” Lance just looked down and sighed. Another explosion sent a wave of dirt over the pair. Shaking his head, Lance bit down on his tongue and charged out of cover. Arc energy flowed around him as he leapt into the air. He clenched his fist as he came down, a shockwave of electric energy evaporated everything in a huge radius. A storm of dust surrounded him as fringe enemies were blasted away shocked with arc light. Aiming Truth at the charging Captains, he fired his last rocket, blowing them apart and sending purple blood and ether into the air. Everything hurt, his muscles screamed and his arm went numb. He fell to a knee coughing blood. His vision began to blur as he noticed his HUD begin to flash red. Vex reinforcements fell to the battlefield. A pair of Minotaur hit the ground aiming huge void weapons at him. The energy projectiles sent him flying into the dirt as Lance had the wind violently stripped from his lungs. Gasping for air, a single shot of solar light melted through the air shattering the shields of the Minotaur, taking their upper bodies with them. “Looks like you can use some help,” a feminine voice sounded above Lance. His vision focused just long enough to notice the hand extended out to him. “Thanks…” his voice trailed as he was weakly brought to his feet. “Welcome,” the Hunter smiled through her helmet. “Call me Clio.” Present Day Diary Entry Lorelei Fletcher En Route to Cosmodrome I am defective. Atlas and Echo will never admit it, but I am. I am supposed to be a Titan, the protector of the wall and keeper of the city. Yet, I can only utilize one of the codex that my Class train by. Ironic, isn’t it? I am a defender, a class that utilizes and manipulates void energy. We are supposedly immovable objects, mountains, there to absorb the harshest punishment and rally our fellow guardians. Sure, I guess I fit that to a T, discovering and practicing with this single codex that I am more powerful than any other single defender. But with so much power… I don’t think Atlas has truly forgiven me for what happened. I don’t think he will. If you think about it, an echo is something that is beyond the description of saddening diction. As you sit in silence, you are alone with your thoughts, something that confuses the mind. Hope develops as the senses are dulled. An echo is the epitome of solitude. You are left alone where you can hear only your voice speak back to you. Echo’s broken spine, my poor ghost, makes her unable to interface with any electronic devices. She can’t carry or produce ammo bricks any more. All she can do is speak with me. Atlas, the iconic mythical figure that sported the world on his shoulders. He could shrug and send the entire planet into chaos. Shot three consecutive times with wire rifles, Atlas lost his ability to speak. Something about internal processing. Two halves come together as one, Atlas and Echo, what one can do the other cannot. And I am responsible for what happened. From that time, I was referred to as Reaper. I unbelievably, undoubtedly, loath that name. It makes me cringe and sinks my heart every time I hear it. That feeling you get when you’re about to cry yet at the same time want to break everything around you. That’s why I need a break, a distraction. This is my last mission; I am so sick of doing these things for the Vanguard. I am approaching the Cosmodrome now. The Vanguard wants me to look into an advanced scout, Lance. End Lorelei transmatted from her ship as it flew low over the Divide. The snow was thick and the grey clouds rolled above her with a strong updraft. A Fallen Walker sat encased in ice and rock. She cautiously advanced to the satellite building. Jumping to the roof she kept her head low crouching behind a solar panel. A patrol of Dreg covered in snow gear trudged through the snow. Pulling Cocytus to bear she took a breath. Her eyes narrowed and as she pulled the trigger, the trio of Dreg fell. Hopping from the building she approached the small outlet into the Wall. Turning the corner into a giant ventilation system, she marveled at the stalactites of ice clinging to the ceiling and growing over the rusting grates and broken fan. The sound of gunfire and a rocket explosion caught her off guard. Lorelei shouldered Cocytus and pulled Raze-Lighter. She approached taking a readied stance on the ice. “SHIT, SHIT, SHIT, SHIT!” A guardian shouted as he burst around the corner. He bolted past Lorelei as she stood there stupefied. “I’d run if I were you!” He grabbed Lorelei’s arm as she watched a flood of Fallen pour into the ventilation tunnel. Her balance shifted and she felt the drag of the guardian’s pull. “Come on!” The Fallen growled and chased after the pair. As they turned the corner into the small access shaft, Lorelei felt herself pushed back. The guardian took a stance, arc energy surrounding his body. The howls and stomps of the charging onslaught grew closer. The hoard came into view. The brief seconds before the guardian leapt at the group, Lorelei felt her heart race, the pounding in her chest climbing to her throat. He smashed into the ground unleashing a devastating shockwave of light. The arc energy evaporated the tightly grouped onslaught, and as he rose to his feet, no Fallen remained to challenge him. “Who the hell are you?” Lorelei took the guardian by the neck and smashed him into the wall. She held the burning blade to his neck. “Lance,” the guardian responded flatly. “You’re supposed to be dead.” She pressed the blade against his neck. “Well,” Lance took Lorelei by the waist, twisted her around and pinned her arm above her head. “I’m not Reaper.” Lorelei gritted her teeth and tried to bring Raze-Lighter down but a sharp pain shot through her wrist. Lance held her arm up and stared into her visor. He tightened his grip sending shocks down her forearm. She dropped Raze-Lighter and the metal clink echoed through the access shaft. He released her and backed off. “Charlemagne is not yours to collect and return to the Vanguard,” Lance said. “Excuse me if the Vanguard marked you as dead!” Lorelei shoved Lance’s file into his chest. The familiar sound of atmospheric snap echoed from the Divide. She peered out and watched as a pair of Skiffs dropped off a slew of fresh Fallen. Their metallic appearance, red glowing eyes, and solar based weaponry standing out. Splicers. “What are the Splicers doing here?” She turned and demanded from Lance. “I may have found their Ketch… and set of some proximity alarms,” Lance replied looking away.