The first flaming Interceptor got to the end of the bridge and rocketed down it. Rex pulled Farvilkas and Ax back as the damaged vehicle listed to the side, crashing into a column and exploding. The rider was ejected from the vehicle at high velocity, crashing headfirst to the ground in front on the platform. His armor was the same camouflage as Rex and Silas’, but for some reason it was smeared with purple paint, some of it coating his Light Breaker sash at his side. He also didn’t wear a helmet, exposing yet another Exo head, currently bent at a curious angle. He laid there unmoving for a bit before a Ghost appeared over his prone form. “Oh dear,” it buzzed in a feminine tone, shining a bright blue light on the Risen. Purple lights flashed in the Exo’s eyes and mouth. “YES!!” he cried triumphantly, sitting up and raising his arms. “First place! I win!” The other Interceptor pulled up at a safer speed, its rider looking down at the Light Breaker. Her form was feminine, and pink smears of paint on her armor and sash complimented her pink eye and mouth lights. “Nuh-uh!” the Exo protested. “First one here in one piece won! You blew up your car!” The purple-smeared Exo stood up and gestured over his form. “Do you see me in more than one piece, chica?” “When I’m through with you, you will be!” she shouted, leaping out of the Interceptor with enough force that it shoved the vehicle off the bridge. She collided with the other Light Breaker, sending him back to the ground. The Eliksni and Rex watched the two wrestle and slug each other as the rolled around on the ground, laughing. “What. The. Hell,” Ax muttered. “[url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/212710816?page=0&sort=0&showBanned=0&path=0]Drew! Trixie![/url] Knock it off!” Silas yelled from the back of the Harvester. “Get your act together!” The two Light Breakers staggered to their feet, Drew replying through laughter, “Yeah, sorry.” “Anything to report?” Rex asked calmly. Drew struck a Mister Olympus pose. “Vex white thingies—” “Confluxes…” Silas growled. “—guarded and robots scrapped. Even strapped one of the big ones to my hood.” “Uh, Drew?” Trixie said sensitively. “I think it came off when you crashed.” “Aww!” Drew whined. “Shoot.” “I need you to be a little more specific,” Rex interjected. “How many confluxes did you stop?” Drew rubbed the back of his head. “Uh…I lost count.” Silas and Rex exchanged glances, the Light Master saying, “That’s not good.” “Is that a lot?” Farvilkas asked. Silas waved him off. “I’m fairly certain Drew can only count up to four, but that’s still a relatively high frequency of Vex trying to sacrifice themselves in a short amount of time.” “According to reports, they’re on the rise,” Rex added. “We have to let the others know. How does the ship look?” “Most of the damage is superficial, so I don’t think it will have a problem flying us back,” Silas reported. He glowered at Drew and Trixie. “So long as we don’t fly into a mountain, that is.” “Are we going to fly?!” Trixie squealed in excitement. “Seeing as how you demolished our only other means of transportation, I don’t think we have a choice,” Rex replied. “Just whatever you do, don’t—” “SHOTGUN!” both Light Breakers cried simultaneously, pushing each other as they ran on board, shoving Silas into the wall. For a brief second his eyes flashed red before reverting to blue. “We’re going to die,” he muttered, rubbing spots where temples would be if he was human. “We’re going to die and there won’t be pieces left for them to find.” Rex remained unfazed by the display and followed Silas inside the vessel without another word. Ax and Farvilkas glanced at each other uncertainly before joining them as well. After Drew and Trixie argued which seat qualified as shotgun and who got to sit in it, they took off and flew around the Citadel. They followed the coastline, passing several other Vex ruins until they were hovering over a large Cabal-style complex of buildings spanning a deep riverbank. Even from high above, Farvilkas could see dozens of figures moving below, several of them organized into troop formations. “Firebase 9,” Silas hailed through the radio. “This is 1400 patrol coming in for a place to dock. We have acquired a Harvester and require landing clearance, over.” “This is Firebase 9 tower,” the radio crackled back. “We read you loud and clear. Send confirmation codes and we’ll tell you where to land, over.” They descended toward a wider building with a thick hatch that opened like a camera shutter as they approached. Inside were more Harvesters, Interceptors, and Threshers, indicating this was the hangar bay. Outside were more Exos and Exni than Farvilkas had ever seen gathered in one place before. This was starting to feel more like his expectation. They landed shortly after, and after disembarking Ax and Farvilkas followed the Exo Risen through the hanger and outside. Even more Exos and Exni ran around, several being led by drill sergeants, shooting down firing ranges, or sparring with each other. Outside a building Farvilkas recognized as a typical command center, the ground was far more charred and broken. As they drew closer he realized why. Several Exo Risen were doing much of the same activities, but augmented to an extreme degree with their Light. Most were set up in sparring matches, overseen by a Light Stalker and a Light Breaker. The Light Stalker had bright white eyes and held a serious expression, while the Light Breaker actually wore a helmet adorned with a smaller and shorter version of a Cabal officer’s plume as a mohawk. The pair of opponents the Light Breaker was watching got locked in an awkward hold as one tried to perform a move on the other. The Light Breaker shook his head and stepped up to them. “No, no, no,” he reproached, disentangling them by shoving them apart. “I told you to relax to let the other finish the move. You’re resisting. [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Groups/Post?groupId=1371758&postId=225386550&sort=0&page=0&path=0&showBanned=0]Welkine[/url], get over here!” A smaller Light Breaker with white plating looked up from the gun he was cleaning. “Why do I always have to be the demonstration?” “Because you’re lighter and don’t instinctively try to resist maneuvers,” the helmeted one replied bluntly. “Now get over here, on the double!” Welkine indignantly put down his gun and stomped over to the other Light Breaker, whining to himself all the way. Suddenly, the one in the helmet lunged forward and wrapped his head around Welkine’s neck, forcing him to bend over. Then the Light Breaker around in the hold until he was bent backward like he was doing limbo, then crunched forward swiftly, throwing Welkine over his body to land flat on his back. “Ow,” Welkine groaned. “Shut up, it’s not meant to hurt,” the helmeted one said, turning to the sparring partners. “The attack causes little damage on flat terrain, but is very effective in disorienting your opponent. Of course, there are ways you can counter the attack, but we’re going to cover that later. Right now, I want to see you execute it on each other to my satisfaction.” As the Risen went back to sparring and Farvilkas’ group drew closer, the presiding Light Stalker noticed their approach and came up. “Rex,” he addressed in a curt tone. “You’re back early.” “We ran into an unforeseen complication,” he replied, gesturing to Ax and Farvilkas. “They’re messengers from High Command, but *someone* told them to land right outside the Citadel.” “[i]What?[/i]” the Light Stalker cried angrily. “Are they cross-wired? Who’s the idiot that told them that?” “Oh, are you all talking to me?” Drew butted in, suddenly aware of the conversation. “No, but [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Groups/Post?groupId=1371758&postId=225386550&sort=0&page=0&path=0&showBanned=0]Yvan[/url] had communications duty today,” Rex informed. The Light Stalker threw up his hands. “Of course. I’d just [i]love[/i] to go [i]one day[/i] without having to discipline the bastard.” “Even though our patrol was cut short,” Silas continued, “Drew and Trixie reported heightened conflux activity.” “Again? Damn, this is getting out of hand.” The Light Stalker gestured to the command center. “He’ll want to hear this himself. Go on in, tell them I sent you, and let them know they have guests. If they need me, tell them I’m straightening out one of my jackasses.” As the Light Stalker stormed off, Rex turned to Farvilkas and Ax. “Wait out here until they tell you to come in. We shouldn’t be long.” [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Groups/Post?groupId=1371758&postId=244991280&sort=0&page=0]Table of Contents[/url]