[b]The Ketch Part 2[/b] Delta’s footsteps echoed through the halls as he made his way through the Ketch's chambers. The ship was indeed barren, occupied only by Fallen bodies. Delta knew this was not the work of his brethren. He did not trust the silence. Something went very wrong here. Turning a corner, he nearly tripped over the body of a captain. Curious, Delta inspected the mutilated corpse. There were massive slash marks across the chest, severing the ether supply and cutting deeply into the flesh. Whatever took this warrior's life was savage and unforgiving. The guardian sighed as he knelt next to the body. The entire corridor was littered with captains and vandals. They were elite warriors. The best of the best. Slaughtered. Banners bearing the sigil of the House of Devils clung to the walls, tattered and torn. The entire ketch had to be completely wiped out. This was a disturbing find for Delta, who was overwhelmed with disbelief. He pressed forward, keeping an eye on the bodies. They were all killed in a similar way, with enormous gashes in their flesh where something slashed them open. Only something truly powerful could have stormed a Devil ketch and massacred so many Fallen. Delta had seen first-hand the methods of the House of Devils and how ruthlessly they trained their warriors. He had obtained a keen interest in the Fallen and their traditions after confronting them post-resurrection. Despite them being enemies he had a great respect for these creatures, and it saddened him to see such devoted warriors slain so brutally. Ahead was another door. Delta strode towards it, expecting it to open automatically like the many before it, but it did not and his helmet hit the door with a loud clank. Annoyed, he looked around the corridor. The Hunters were not there to see his moment of stupidity, but embarrassment remained. His ghost materialized next to him. "Don't worry", it chuckled. "I won't tell anyone." The two turned towards the closed door. "This is strange", observed Delta. "None of the others were locked. Can you get us in?" The ghost immediately began to scan the keypad to the right of the door. "I can't open it", said the ghost. "It's already unlocked. The sensors must be damaged." They had already swept through most of the ship and the Hunters haven’t reported anything yet. All that was left was this door. Delta turned back to the bodies behind him. The Ketch's elite lay lifeless in pools of ether. He even spotted the cape of a Kell's guard caught on a storage pod. All of the most fearsome Devils sent to one place. They weren't just fighting for their lives, they were protecting something. He turned to his ghost. "I have to get through that door." Without even waiting for a response Delta took a few steps back, summoning the power of the void. If his ghost couldn't hack it open, he would blow it open. As his power reached its peak, the warlock unleashed his nova bomb. The massive ball of energy hurtled forward at full speed and with a single blast, obliterated the door. Once the debris had settled, Delta smiled at the now gaping hole before him. "That's one way to do it", muttered his ghost as it dematerialized. Delta suddenly heard rapid footsteps to his right and immediately aimed his weapon. “Whoa there! It’s just us! We heard an explosion!” said Alex, Ross in tow. “Have you found anything?” inquired Delta. “Yes,” confirmed Alex. “We found the communications center, but…” She trailed off as she laid eyes on the massive amount of dead Fallen. She took a deep breath. “But,” she continued, “there was nothing but dead Fallen. I did see something strange in their data logs though, in that there were no data logs. I suspect that the Fallen knew something and whoever, or whatever, killed them wanted to make sure they didn’t tell anyone about it.” Delta wondered what the Fallen could have been hiding, then remembered the huge door he just blew up. “The Fallen made their last stand here,” said Delta. “This door wasn’t opening so I blew a hole in it,” he said matter-of-factly. Alex shrugged and peered through the hole. “What do you think Ross?” Ross frowned. “I think if there IS someone here, they definitely know that we are here now too.” “Well then,” said Alex, stepping through the hole. “Let’s go meet them shall we?” Delta followed and Ross groaned as he brought up the rear. With that the trio disappeared into the dark chambers ahead. The guardians progressed slowly through the dimly lit room before them. It was very large with various screens and consoles, all of which were smashed in. There was debris everywhere, and sparks occasionally flew across the room. They moved around some control consoles to find a single light in the back of the room, under which sat an enormous Fallen beast in a very large chair. “Look out!” warned Ross, raising his pulse rifle. “Relax,” said Delta, putting his hand on Ross’s rifle. “I think this one’s dead too.” “Unbelievable. This must be the throne room, and that must be the Kell,” said Alex. “What a shame. The Devils must have finally chosen a new leader, only to have it slain like the rest of them. Let’s take a closer look.” They inched towards the slumped Kell for closer inspection. It was dead alright, but was not torn apart like the rest of its Fallen brothers and sisters. “My God,” said Alex. “This one wasn’t mauled, it was shot.” Delta and Ross leaned in to take a closer look at the huge gunshot wounds in its chest. “Uh oh…” whispered Ross. “What is it?” asked Delta, eager to find out what Ross knew. “These wounds… they are consistent with standard Cabal rounds.” Alex gasped and Delta racked his memory on the Cabal. “You mean those space rhinos on Mars?” he asked. “Yeah,” confirmed Ross, a grim look on his face. “But…” started Alex, “that’s not possible… is it?” They looked at each other in horror and confusion. They were so caught up with the Kell, that Delta almost didn’t notice some slight movement in the shadows off to his left. Delta immediately drew his Galahad and fired a couple shots into the dark. Alex and Ross drew their weapons too, ready to strike, but they didn’t see anything. “What is it Delta?” Ross asked urgently. Delta kept his eyes trained to the shadows. “There is something watching us from the dark,” whispered Delta. “I don’t see anything,” said Ross. “I think you’re mistaken.” Delta scowled and his tone became extremely serious. “I am equipped with lightning fast combat and tracking protocols. I do not make mistakes.” Ross was about to respond, but then came the growling. It was a small gurgle at first, but it quickly grew into a chorus of evil snarls. That’s when Delta realized something. “We’re surrounded…” he whispered. [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Clan/Post/1371758/224950343/0/0]Part 3[/url] [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/224417569?page=0&sort=0&showBanned=0&path=1]The Hub[/url]