After the Cabal jumped out of the Harvester, Ax moved up to the other pilot’s seat beside Farvilkas. “So, time to find the Iron Legion, yes?” The Exni nodded. “Open a channel. See if we can get them to tell us where they are.” Ax turned on the radio and hailed on multiple frequencies as they rose back into the air. Farvilkas steered the dropship toward the Citadel like Ikora had suggested. “I’m picking up something,” Ax reported. “It’s on imperial frequencies, but all the message has is a set of coordinates. Feeding them into the computer.” Farvilkas nodded, setting course for the coordinates. “Ax…Thank you for joining me. I know you didn’t have to, and I’m sure you would have rather wanted to take advantage of your leave…” Ax shrugged all his shoulders. “I didn’t have anything to do, to be honest. It didn’t seem fair for that pompous bastard to promote you to send you on an assignment alone. Besides, I’ve never been to Venus.” The Exni smiled. “Regardless, I appreciate your company.” “Farvilkas?” Ax replied uncertainly. “We’re flying right toward that tower. Are you [i]sure[/i] we’re heading the right way?” After realizing Ax’s observation was correct, Farvilkas checked their coordinate heading. “The GPS says we are approaching the coordinates you keyed in. Perhaps it belongs to the Iron Legion?” “Maybe,” his companion said skeptically. They continued over the rest of the broken-down city and past several rocky ridges riddled with canyons and blooming with jungles. When it seemed like they would run into the giant tower, a basin opened up below. Inside were more blocky structures, including a bridge connecting to a platform extending out from the Citadel’s base. Farvilkas checked the coordinates again and discovered that this was the very location they were instructed to go. “Looks like we’re in the right place.” Ax leaned over to look out the cockpit window. “I don’t see anyone below.” “Was someone supposed to meet us?” Farvilkas asked as he brought the Harvester down close to the platform. The small Eliksni shook his head. “Not that I know.” They set down a few seconds later. Farvilkas double-checked all the systems while Ax continued to look outside. “This isn’t any type of architecture man, Eliksni, or Cabal made,” he noted. “Why would this be the Iron Legion’s?” “Ikora said they were uniquely equipped to engage the Vex,” Farvilkas answered as he geared up with some armor and weapons, including a shrapnel launcher and a pair of shock pistols. “Perhaps they took this place from them.” Ax followed quickly behind with several shock knives and opened the back hatch of the Harvester, letting humid jungle air inside the ship. “Hmm. I still have a bad feeling about this.” Almost as if on cue, they heard something coming from the bridge. They turned to see several one-red-eyed robots with fan-shaped heads and a handful of floating triangular machines coming toward them. They made several high-pitched tonal warbles before opening fire with red lasers. Farvilkas reacted immediately, shooting at the flying creatures fiery and electrified rounds. One Vex teleported in front of him and smacked his launcher out of his hands, but he lunged forward quickly and tore out its eye and radiolarian cell with each hand. Then he grabbed the frame through the holes he created and used it as a shield while shooting around it with his pistols. Ax’s small form let him get behind the Vex’s guard surprisingly well, allowing him to rupture their juice boxes with ease. He was even able to scramble on top of one of the robots and get a good position to launch himself at a flying unit, bringing it down with a quick stab to the optic. When he fell with it, though, something caught on his ether tubes and yanked his mask off. He gasped as another walking Vex stepped up to him, about to fry the choking Eliksni. Farvilkas didn’t give it a chance, retrieving his shrapnel launcher and melting its brass-colored frame with heated metal. Then the Exni reached down and picked Ax’s mask up and handed it over, his friend eagerly taking it back with a deep inhale. “Thanks,” Ax croaked. “I envy you that you don’t need this to breathe.” Farvilkas chuckled. “And I would give anything to feel a change of breath than this single, hard-wired simulation programmed in me.” As Farvilkas helped Ax stand, the air around them turned gray and grainy like a bad video. Electricity flashed, and suddenly two very large Vex cyborgs landed several feet away, shimmering with violet energy. They both turned to the Eliksni and leveled their hefty guns. “Bad! Very bad!” Ax cried as they ran for the Harvester. High-energy bolts flew over their heads and bombarded the ship’s hull, causing the pair to stop their dash. They looked back to see the Vex closing in with their teleportation, closing the distance quickly. Then a round device landed between the large Vex, exploding into a cloud of smoke that slowed the machines down and ate at their shielding. Then a brilliant purple light shone behind them, colliding with the Vex and destroying them in a ground-shaking explosion. Two figures stepped toward Farvilkas and Ax through the settling dust. They wore armor colored to camouflage themselves with the environment, but one wore a Light Stalker’s kerchief and the other wore a Light Master’s armband. Neither wore helmets, so it was easy to see they were both Exos. The Light Stalker had pale green plating while the Light Master’s was silver with a yellow X painted on. They both held their rifles in front of them as the approached the Eliksni and stopped. Farvilkas straightened up. “Thank you for helping us there. Are you with the Iron Legion?” The green Light Stalker nodded. “We are. Are you messengers from High Command?” “Uh…not exactly, but—” “You Eliksni have a lot of moxie,” the Light Master commented. “You touched down right on the Vex’s front lawn. You could’ve gotten killed!” Farvilkas was taken aback by the information. Didn’t they tell them to land here? Ax beat him to it, saying, “We hailed you guys on the radio, and you told us to land at these coordinates.” The Light Stalker tipped his head. “They told you to land [i]here?[/i]” He glanced at his companion. “Who’s working communications today?” The black Exo gave him a wry expression. “Do you even need to ask?” The other Exo intoned a sigh. “I guess not.” He turned back to the Eliksni. “Sorry, I think someone back at base fed you the wrong coordinates. We’ll take you back there and get things straightened out. I’m [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Groups/Post?groupId=1371758&postId=178094990&sort=0&page=0&path=0&showBanned=0]Rex-5742[/url] and this is [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Groups/Post?groupId=1371758&postId=230034700&sort=0&page=0&path=0&showBanned=0]Silas-28[/url].” “I go by Ax,” the small Eliksni greeted. “My Exni friend here is Farvilkas-Eta.” Farvilkas’ eyes widened. “5742??” Rex waved him off. “It’s…complicated. Silas, make sure their ship didn’t take any damage from those Minotaurs. I’ll get in touch with the rest of our patrol and get them here.” “Oh geez,” Silas groaned, walking toward the Harvester. “Tell them I’m not here.” Ax cocked his head in confusion. “What’s [i]his[/i] problem?” “It’s not him,” Rex clarified, flicking his wrist and having his Ghost appear. “We’re out with a couple other Risen that are pretty powerful, but not exactly the most tactically capable. They set out on a pair of Interceptors and basically went out on a joyride around the Ishtar Cliffs.” Suddenly, they heard a bunch of explosions from the other side of the basin, followed by loud whooping and hollering. They turned to see a pair of heavily damaged Interceptors careening through and archway. The one in the lead was even on fire, and the rider clearly try to handle it with care as they boosted full speed into an outcropped Vex brick. “That would be them,” Rex said, dismissing his Ghost. “They seem…exuberant,” Farvilkas noted as the other Interceptor hit a piece of sloping ground and rocketed into the air. Upon landing, a large chunk of the hull broke free and its engine also caught fire. “We call them rack ‘n’ ruin for a reason,” Rex agreed. “Though some of the others prefer Trax and Drewin.” [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Groups/Post?groupId=1371758&postId=244991280&sort=0&page=0]Table of Contents[/url]