Greetings, Guardians, here's part Nine of Doom of the Dragons! Here's [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/238169836?sort=0&page=0]part eight [/url]if you missed it. As usual, if you like it, give it a bump, and I'll get more out soon! Stay classy, Guardians! Cupun sat down in his chair with a weary sigh. He looked up. Kim and Marcella were sitting across from him, both of them looking similarly dejected. No one had suggested going to the Resupply Depot. Rather, there was a mutual understanding that had passed between them all - this was the place where they’d spent so much time with their friend. This was were they would come to honor her memory. Dinesh walked up to them, holding three glasses of beer. Silent, he doled them out, putting one glass in front of each Guardian. Kim waved his hand. “No thanks, Dinesh,” he said. “It’s on the house,” Dinesh replied gravely. He looked around the table, and his voice dropped to a whisper. “I heard about Lyra. I’m sorry for your loss.” None of the Guardians made any move to reply. Dinesh nodded, and then turned to walk away. “Hey, Dinesh?” Cupun said, looking at the glass. The old bartender turned towards him. “Thanks for the drinks.” Dinesh nodded. “Its the least I can do,” he said. Then, he returned to his place behind the bar. Cupun picked up the glass, and inspected it briefly. “I suppose we ought to make a toast,” he said. “I suppose so,” Marcella said. The three Guardians lifted their glasses in the air. Cupun stared at the foaming liquid. He took a deep breath. “To Lyra,” he said. “One of the greatest Guardians I have ever known.” Marcella nodded. “To Lyra,” she said. “To Lyra,” Kim said. Then, they drank, and put the glasses back down on the table. Kim shook his head. “I can’t believe she’s really gone,” he said. The Guardians remained silent for a moment longer. “Remember that time when she convinced us to board a ketch?” Marcella asked. Kim smiled softly. “I remember,” he said. “I swear, it was the craziest idea that she’d ever come up with.” “And then, when we realized we couldn’t capture it, she had us detonate the warp drive?” “I swear, some of my hair still hasn’t grown back from that explosion,” Kim said. Marcella chuckled. “Yeah.” She looked up at the ceiling. “Remember the time she got into a fight with Saint-14?” “If I recall correctly, she head butted him into a wall,” Kim responded. “I’ll never understand why he didn’t clip her wings then and there.” “I think he was too impressed to punish her,” Marcella said. Cupun looked at his two companions. He had limitless stories about Lyra. But the memory that was clearest to him, even now, was that of her smile. It was a slight grin that shone across her face, sparkling in her bright blue eyes. It was a smile that had always reassured him that all was right in the world. And now, it would never be seen again. “I’m leaving,” Cupun said. He stood up, and turned to leave. Marcella got up as well. “Cupun - “ she began. “Stop!” Cupun said, turning around and holding up his hand. “I - I need to be alone right now.” Marcella stared at him for another moment, her hazel eyes flashed with worry. “Alright,” she said, “I understand.” Cupun nodded, and walked out of the bar. * * * Cupun entered his room a few minutes later. He let the doors close behind him, and, despite the darkness, he didn’t even bother to turn on the lights. He stood in the doorway for a moment, and then walked over to his cluttered desk. Sitting on top of it was the Scotch he’d purchased from Dinesh the other day. Cupun cradled the bottle in his arms. Already, the memory of them sitting in the bar together seemed like an eternity ago. He remembered the last time he’d held Lyra in his arms. He’d thought about how they’d finish off this bottle once they got back from Luna. He thought about how they’d laugh and talk, trading stories and barbs. He thought about how the person he cared about most was now dead. “Rah!” Cupun threw the bottle against the wall, where it shattered. The orange liquid splashed over the white walls, and the shattered glass fell to the ground. Cupun leaned back against the wall, and slowly slid to the ground. Then, the titan held his head in his hands and cried. * * * The next day, Cupun arrived for a mission debriefing at the Hall of Guardians. A thin layer of stubble coated his cheeks, and his hair was a tangled mess. When he arrived, he saw Kim and Marcella standing there as well. Right alongside them was Alister. The young warlock looked up, and saw Cupun. He opened his mouth to say something, and then closed it. Cupun walked up alongside Marcella, and stood at attention, his arms at his sides. Suddenly, Osiris walked up to them. The old warlock looked over the three Guardians, and nodded. “Thank you all for coming,” he said. “First, let me offer you my condolences. It is always a tragedy when a Guardian passes. Even more so when it is one as brave and heroic as Lyra.” Cupun remained stoic. His brown eyes stared straight ahead, betraying no emotion. “Invaluable intelligence was gained from this mission,” Osiris continued. “We now know that we have a new enemy. We have detailed analysis of their weaponry, their architecture, though - “ “When do we go back?” Cupun asked. Lyra, Kim, and Alister turned towards him. Osiris frowned with confusion. “What?” “When do we go back and fight these bastards, sir?” Cupun said. “They killed a Guardian. They need to pay.” Osiris was silent for a moment. “We’re not going back,” he said at last. Cupun blinked. “What?” “We lost a great Guardian probing these . . . creatures,” Osiris said. “Until we know more, I cannot, in good conscience, authorize another mission.” “You saw what they could do!” Cupun shouted. “We need to take the fight to them before they can take the fight to us!” “Until we have more information, I cannot authorize another mission,” Osiris said bluntly. He stared at Cupun for a moment, and then his gaze softened. “I recognize that this is a difficult time for you, Titan,” he said, “but do not let anger cloud your better judgment.” Cupun looked down at his feet, his gaze smoldering. “Yes sir,” he said. * * * After the meeting, Cupun stormed out of the hall. “Cupun,” his ghost said, “Cupun!” “What!” “You know Osiris is right,” his ghost said. “We have no idea what those things were!” “All the more reason to go back!” Cupun retorted. He walked across the Tower Plaza, and gripped the railing so tight the metal started to bend. He looked down on the City below him, and then looked up at the sky. Suddenly, an idea occurred to him. “I know someone who might know what those things were,” he said. “Who?” his ghost asked. Cupun continued to look up at the sky. “The Ahamkara.” [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Groups/Post?groupId=1371758&postId=238989002&sort=0&page=0]Part 10: Seeking[/url]