PART VI

Were almost on top of the Cosmodrome. Do you even know where were going? The
Guardian said, exasperated.
Yes, Ghost said, his voice fluctuating. We are His voice stuttered, taking on a new
tone, Fifteen nautical miles away He stopped, silence filling the air itself. The Guardian sighed,
letting his body relax. Light poured off his skin, moving towards his left hand, where it flowed into
the hand itself. Thanks, mumbled Ghost. The building in question isnt that far away. A days hike
at most. The Guardian looked towards the setting sun.
Days up, he muttered. Going to need to find somewhere to rest. Youre in no state to
move around at night.
Im fine! Ghost manifested, looking at the Guardian.
No. Youre not. The Guardian reached out, using his Light to repair Ghosts damaged shell.
Come on. Well find somewhere for you to get some shuteye.
*
Elsewhere, the sun wasnt even at the height of its daily path, yet the Exo couldnt feel it. He
had already spent the last of his Light creating a shelter for his team. He was no longer even a
Guardian.
His weary legs forced him to sit, his companions turning to look at him. He leant against the
wall, the pistol in his hand heavier than lead. The Guardian closest to him made a hand gesture and
began walking back to him. "Hey," they said, leaning down on one knee. "Hey!" They reached out
with one hand, shaking him, but only managed to hit his head with the gun in their hand. "I refuse to
believe you're not still in there!"
Oh, give it a rest, would you?! The other one yelled, stepping towards them. Hes dying,
they sighed, while the first Guardian turned to look towards them. And thats just it. This time
tomorrow, hell be nothing but dust, riding on the wind.
I dont want to just kill him while hes still alive!
Then you should have taken the bullet for him. The second Guardian continued walking
down the hallway, clutching a white, cylindrical device to their chest. The first Guardian sighed, and
began to stand up, when the Exos arm shot out, gripping their arm tightly. They turned to look
down at him, their helmet expressionless.
I I remember you The Exo mumbled, finding speech difficult. The Guardians head
moved slightly, in what was almost a smile, if they could smile without a mouth.
Keep your strength. Im not giving up on you yet. Youve got a long walk ahead of you, The
Exo sighed, his joints creaking as he stood up. Without his Ghost to feed him Light, his body was
slowly deteriorating. The other Guardian was right. He would not survive the night.
*

The sun still isnt up! The Guardian bellowed, turning away from the dying Ghost.
Ill be fine! The shell will hold! The Guardian rubbed his eyes, before looking for a clock.
It's only been two hours, mumbled Ghost, guessing the intent behind his search.
"No, absolutely not! You. Will. Die. I am not letting you do this!" The Guardian took a sudden
interest in examining the grain on the door to their shelter.
Its not about us, remember? Its about saving the Solar System, Goosebumps rippled
across the Guardians skin, as his shoulders slumped.
Dont do that, he muttered, without turning around.
Im right, and you know it. We need to leave now if we want to have any chance at
stopping Rasputin, The Guardian cast his eyes in search of a clock, intent on proving him wrong.
Its time. Why wont you trust me? If I die, so be it, The Guardian turned to look at him,
tears in his eyes. Its time. We need to go, The Guardian swallowed audibly, looking down as he
began to openly cry. A helmet appeared over his head, but his sobs could still be heard. He slumped
into a corner, and Ghost flew over to him, leaving part of his shell behind on the table.
The Guardian looked up as he flew towards him, reaching out with his hands. Light flowed
into Ghost, instantaneously repairing the shell, almost creating the illusion of perfect health. Youll
die, whispered the Guardian, holding Ghost in his hands.
Its, Ghosts voice distorted rapidly, with different tones for every syllable. Okay, Ghost
stopped, looking down, concentrating. Its, he began speaking forcefully, attempting to break the
distortion. Okay. Its okay. He gasped, the distortion suddenly gone. Its okay, The Guardian
choked up, but his sobs finally stopped.
And so, the two sat in the corner, simply enjoying what could be their last few moments of
peace together.
*
The rain beat down mercilessly. The Guardian leant into the scope, breathing deeply. His
eyes viewed a grey world, with little colour. He moved the rifle, trying to find a specific mark.
Suddenly, his vision was filled with the familiar armour and colours of the King Baron, whom he had
been tracking for months. Initially, the Baron was just his excuse to leave the Tower, but when he
realised that he couldnt actually terminate the Baron, he became obsessed, almost getting himself
killed for a chance at killing the Eliksni noble.
He breathed once more, lining up the shot. In truth, he had never really tried to kill the
Baron. The Baron got him out of the Tower, and he didnt kill the Baron. It was only fair, after all.
Sure, he had tried to set up a killing opportunity, but he always stopped himself from actually doing
it. Or at least, he would have, if the smart bastard hadnt managed to get away each time. He
breathed for the last time, squeezing the trigger.
The Baron fell forward, lifeless. The surrounding Fallen all turned towards the body, before
attempting to find the gunner. What they couldnt know, however, is that the gunner was already
amongst them, invisible. It was only after the death of the fifth Vandal that the Fallen worked out
what was happening, and began to open fire, despite their proximity to each other.

The Guardian had not left Ghosts side for more than a minute, and yet, when he returned,
Ghost lay on the ground, the Light within his core failing. He dematerialised, repairing himself. The
Guardian looked out upon the dead group of Fallen, thinking.
"Ghost? I'm going to need a rocket launcher," There were no witty remarks. No questioning
why. Ghost simply complied, evidently too tired to do anything else. Very slowly, a rocket launcher
began to materialise in his hands. He waited patiently, until finally the ancient rocket launcher of the
Iron Lords sat within his hands. "Ghost, this is an antique! I haven't seen this thing in almost seven
years!" The launcher began to fade around the edges. "No. Keep it. I'll make it work."
Its not about your capacity to make it work, its my job to keep you well armed. If it
werent for his inability to hold a physical form, and the occasional distortion, Ghost almost didnt
seem to be dying.
"It worked then, didn't it?" The Guardian looked in the chamber, checking for ammo.
"Empty. Good," He looked back at the Fallen, concentrating. He pictured all their spare clips, hidden
within various pockets. He imagined what it would look like for each clip to be disintegrated into
pure energy, and then for that energy to flow into the launcher in his hands.
He gasped, stumbling backwards before falling down. He lay on the ground, recovering.
Once he felt better, the opened the launcher again, checking the chamber. A single warhead sat
there, primed and ready to launch. He laughed, laying down completely.
He frowned suddenly, feeling his right hand get heavier. He looked down at it and found
another warhead sitting in it, unprimed. Im dying, not dead, Ghost said, transmatting away the
warhead. I can still do that, at least. The Guardian sighed, sitting up.
As soon as you start to struggle, Im doing it, he said, using the rocket launcher to get up.
Sure, said Ghost, beginning to put the launcher away.
No, said the Guardian, placing the launcher on his back.
Dont be ridiculous, that thing must weigh a tonne! Ghost protested. In response, the
Guardian leant down and grabbed the sniper rifle, also placing it on his back. Finally, he picked up his
auto-rifle, reloaded, and began to walk away. This is madness, Ghost muttered, his voice
distorting. The Guardian simply nodded, already focused on how they were to survive their next
encounter.
*
Heavy hands pawed at its throat, before the Legionary finally came to the conclusion that it
could no longer breathe and gave up, dying by suffocation. Zavala stepped over its dead body, his
gun still raised. Bravo, report, he ordered, leaning around a corner, before dismissing any chance
of a threat coming from that direction.
Clear, Commander, the voice came in over the comms, keeping details to a minimum to
avoid Rasputin discovering their plans.
Charlie, report,
Clear, Commander,
Delta, report,

"We need to talk," Shaxx said, before the comms channel went dead. Zavala raised his eyebrows,
and then summoned Jamal.
"The air should be safe to breathe. I recommend you keep your helmet on anyway, as a
precautionary measure." Zavala paused, his hands already at the base of his neck.
Shaxx wants to talk, he said simply, pushing up.
The air was putrid, but not unbreathable. His lungs shuddered through his first few breaths,
before finally returning to normal. He sat down, preserving his energy, waiting for Shaxx. He didnt
have to wait long, before Shaxx came rumbling around the corner, causing the very ground itself to
shake as he passed.
This plan of yours is not the best, given the current situation, Zavala raised his eyebrows
again, staring at Shaxx, who was simply yelling so loudly he could be heard through his helmet.
This plan will decimate the enemy! What do you propose, we just walk away?
Not quite. We were going to detonate the ship, before actually finding out anything about
the ship,
Your point?
I found out something about the ship, Shaxx summoned his Ghost, who displayed a 3D
printout of the ship. Different parts of the ship then flashed, as the Ghost scanned telemetry. As the
scan neared its end, Zavala sat up.
Impossible. Scan again,
Already have. We assumed this ship was downed because of the smoke. What if the smoke
had been from another crash elsewhere, and we happened to stumble upon this one instead?
How? That makes no sense, and were just wasting time thinking about it, Zavala said, his
classic obsession with constant action beginning to consume him again.
Maybe not. Were on the Dantalion Exodus XIII, Zavala felt a chill go down his spine, as he
realised he was aboard the ship responsible for Ikoras death.
Our plans havent changed, we
They should, said a new voice. They both turned to face the Stranger, who had just
appeared in the doorway.
Where have you been? demanded Zavala, stepping towards her.
Dealing with something. There are so many little events that need to happen, you know?
Zavala opened his mouth, but Shaxx silenced him with a gesture.
And what do you propose we do, Exo? The Stranger looked at him, a smirk on her face,
metal plates constantly realigning to maintain it.
Easy. Fly it out of here, and go pick up our hero.
*
The Guardian glanced furtively over his shoulder, once more certain he had heard
something. Satisfied there was nothing there, he turned around, holding Ghost out towards the

building. Nothing, Ghost said. The Guardian grunted in frustration, setting off again. He paused in
front of another building, holding out Ghost. Still nothing,
And youre sure Rasputin is here?
Has to be. That satellite dish up there is the one hes been bouncing his signal off, Ghost
responded. The Guardian sighed, and began moving towards another building.
The Shredder bolt caught him by surprise, tearing a hole in his leg. He stumbled forward,
dropping Ghost. He crashed down into the mud, his shell splitting in two. The Guardian growled,
tearing the sniper rifle off his back and turning to face the direction the bolt came from.
As he did, another bolt came hurtling from another direction, ruining his ability to walk. He
yelled, removing his auto-rifle with his free hand, firing blinding in the second direction while still
trying to sight the enemy in the first.
A Boomer bolt came crashing down from the above buildings, throwing him onto Ghost, who was
beginning to lose his glow. The Guardian blinked, grabbing him, and rubbed against the holes in his
leg. With the Light he was syphoning into Ghost, he was able to repair both himself and the leg
injury, allowing the Guardian to get back up and start running.
His feet pounded uselessly in the mud as he came thrashing around a corner, stumbling
straight into two Acolytes. Ghost went flying from his hand, flying straight into the air before arcing
down. Simultaneously, the Guardian used his forward momentum to carry an Acolyte forward,
throwing him into a wall. The other turned to shoot him, but the Guardian reached out, breaking its
hand. He held out his left hand, and caught Ghost, twirling out of the way of the Shredder bolt fired
by the first Acolyte, who had now recovered. He turned to look it in the eye, before caving its head
in with his right hand. Both Acolytes hit the ground at around the same time, but the Guardian only
wanted to keep running.
The Boomer fire began to rain down, and his blood started to mix with the running water,
pouring from the heavens. The Guardian would not be stopped, however, and he continued to run,
not even pausing to aim his sniper correctly, instead choosing to hip-fire upwards, hoping for the
best.
The two Knights made very loud thuds as they hit the ground, their bodies limp. The
Guardian paused finally, having seen the red staining his left hand, pooling around Ghost, whose
core had grown dimmer, despite the proximity to the Guardians Light. He gripped Ghost tighter, and
began rubbing him along the locations of his wound, flowing the required Light into him, repairing
himself. He grimaced, as it became harder to draw the Light. This new Light source was potent, but it
was not like the Traveller. He felt his own powers deteriorating, at a slower rate than Ghosts.
Three Acolytes came bounding around the corner behind them, skidding to a stop. The
Guardian turned slowly, transmatting Ghost away. He reached out with his left hand, touching the
wall. He stared at the Acolytes, who stared blankly back. He paused, curious as to why they werent
shooting, before deciding it didnt matter. He yelled in pain, as he willed Solar and Arc Light to travel
through his arm, licking across the surface of the building. As it neared the Acolytes, it also jumped
to the building across from itself, creating a temporary bridge of pure energy. One of the Acolytes
seemed to almost lower their Shredder, bowing their heads, as the energies combined, creating an
explosion potent enough to demolish both the buildings, and when the dust cleared, the path was
blocked.

He summoned Ghost, clutching him tightly. He walked towards a doorway, and held him out
a final time.
This is it, Ghost said, as close to silent as can be achieved by a sound. The Guardian
retracted his hand, allowing himself a smile for the first time in a few days. A shrieking sound could
be heard, and a Hive Tombship came tearing into existence overhead, causing the Guardian to
moan. Around him, row upon row of Acolytes, Thralls and Knights appeared, all with their weapons
raised. The Guardian grunted, shakily raising his auto-rifle. The Tombship disappeared, leaving
silence but for the sound of falling rain.
And suddenly, the Knights began to look nervous. The Guardian stood straighter from
surprise, looking around. He couldnt immediately identify the threat, but it was causing the Hive to
panic. The Tombship returned, and the Hive disappeared, leaving the Guardian to his thoughts.
He frowned slightly, thinking. Unable to decide a reason for their sudden departure, he walked over
to the door. He was trying to peer through the old and dusty glass when he noticed something
reflected in the handle. An orange light was glaring brightly from the rooftop across from the door.
The Guardian whirled around and found himself watching a Hobgoblin firing the shot that ended his
life.
The darkness was different this time. Normally, he would still hear Ghost talking to him,
keeping his moral up, explaining what was happening around them. Now, he heard only one sound
someone screaming in agony. He struggled to concentrate, trying to feed Ghost the Light needed to
repair the brain damage and restart his bodies internal systems.
He blinked, finding himself back in the middle of the pathway, surrounded by the grey
buildings. He looked up, but the Hobgoblin was nowhere to be seen. You started hallucinating,
whispered Ghost. Your mind began to shut down, The Guardian recoiled, surprised.
Why? he asked tentatively.
"Don't know," replied Ghost, with dread making itself evident through the distortion. The Guardian
began walking towards the door when he noticed the skin on his arm standing up despite the
armour. "Motion. All around," The air began to darken, and the Guardian reached for his auto-rifle,
before spotting it, lying on the ground, just behind the wall of darkness. There was a crack, and red
light flooded the Guardians vision, from many sources, creating a surreal image.
What do they want? bemoaned the Guardian, willing the auto-rifle to dissolve into energy.
Hard to tell. Perhaps Rasputin told them you would be here, Ghost said, transmatting
himself into the nook between the Guardians helmet and his chest-plate. Just do me a favour. The
gun finally reformed in his hands. He raised it, staring down the nearest Goblin. Give them hell,
The Guardian fired, removing the head of the Goblin. The other Vex began to fire, causing him to
duck, resulting in the death of a few of them. He lowered his gun, rushing the nearest Goblin,
pushing it over. He flicked it up with his legs, spun, and kicked it into the nearby ground of Goblins,
before dropping an orb of fire on them. He fired controlled bursts, killing the remaining Goblins with
ease.
He huffed for a moment, before nodding at the result of his work. It was only as he turned
around, that the air began to darken again. When the smoke cleared, he was surrounded by a mix of
Goblins, Hobgoblins and Minotaurs. He pursed his lips, thinking, before stepping forward, blinking
onto the neck of the closest Minotaur, while everything began to fire in his direction.

He reached down and grabbed the beasts weapon, aiming manually. He reached down into
the seam behind headpiece and chest piece, and began feeling around. The Minotaur began lurching
haphazardly, until, finally, he was able to fire the gun. The Minotaur spun, trying to prevent the
destruction it was about to cause, but to no avail. The Guardian fired the Torch Hammer mercilessly,
decimating the group of Vex, before tearing apart the internal circuits of the Minotaur, destroying it.
He stepped off the body as it came tumbling to the ground, and dusted himself off. He
stepped forward, but stopped, his foot in the air, and glanced each way. Satisfied, he shrugged, and
placed his foot down. Before he even lifted his back foot, more Vex had appeared, all staring him
down. He raised his eyebrows, as well as his gun, but then more Vex teleported behind the
newcomers.
And then, even more Vex arrived.
The Guardian spun slowly on the spot, surveying the scene. He frowned, bringing his gun up.
The Vex eyed it casually, and a certain portion of enemies in front of his gun raised their weapons.
He turned around, and the weapons raised and lowered in a wave fashion. He slowly lowered the
rifle, before placing it on his back. As he began to withdraw his hand, it brushed along the edge of
the rocket launcher. He grabbed it, keeping it pointed down. Alright, he mumbled, staring at the
exposed warhead. A blaze of glory it is, He sealed the chamber, locking in the warhead.
A Goblin at the back went flying upwards without warning. The Guardian turned to look, as
another two went flying as well. The wave continued inwards, until two of the Vex that were part of
the inner circle went up, revealing a regal Hunter with two smoking shotguns in his hands, and no
helmet on. The Guardian smiled slightly, replacing the rocket launcher with his auto-rifle. Cayde,
he started. Arent those supposed to be custom made? Oh, Im sorry, I meant arent I meant to
have the only one of those, custom made? Cayde finished reloading the guns, and looked up at
him.
Everyone owes me a favour, Guardian, The Guardian scoffed, aiming down his sights.
Back to back, then? The Guardian waited for a response, but when none came, he turned
around.
Emotion is nearly impossible to read simply from the face of a machine. However, even the
Guardian could see the regret written on Caydes stance, by the slumped shoulders and the refusal
to look him in the eyes. Not this time, Guardian, Cayde looked towards the door, raised his guns,
and blasted, tearing a hole in the Vex, before blasting upon the doors themselves.
The Guardian reacted immediately, dropping a Ward of Dawn around them. Dont be
crazy! he yelled. Youll get yourself killed. Im fighting with you! Cayde looked at him, and paused
for a second.
I wasnt asking, he said simply, before drawing the Void energy around him into a bow,
which he pointed at the Guardian.
Cayde, whispered the Guardian, unable to draw his eyes away from the void arrow.
Hey. Remember, now, you owe me one, The bow rang out, as the arrow tore through the
Guardians armour, taking him with it. It went sailing through the Void wall, past the firing Vex,
through the doors, where it lodged itself in the wall. The Guardian immediately began to attempt to
remove it, but it was lodged in firmly.

Cayde sighed, lowering both shotguns. Maya?

Yes? She was almost as silent as an ancient ghost, one of myth.
I need enough light to activate both the Golden Gun and the Arc Blade.
Well die, She didnt sound scared. She didnt sound angry. She was quiet, accepting of her
fate.
I know. They both sighed, in sync. The Guardian looked up, seeing Cayde talking, and
began working harder at the arrow.
Cayde?
Yes?
I love you,
I love you too, The Guardian finally thought to flow Arc energy through the arrow, causing
it to melt. He fell to the ground, just as Cayde roared in pain. He looked up in time to see him holding
both a Golden Gun and Arc Blade, with unrefined Arc and Solar energy pouring from the Void
bubble. Finally, two streams came into contact, and the resulting blast pushed the Guardian into the
wall, causing him to lose consciousness.
When he finally came to, the doorway had collapsed. He got up, attempting to tear through
the rock to reach the other side. Its no use, said Ghost. Hes gone. I cant hail Cayde or his ghost,
The Guardian slumped down, turning his back on the rubble.
You sound better, he said, closing his eyes.
I feel a little better. I guess your neck is closer to the source of your light,
Wheres that?
No idea, The Guardian leant his head back, catching his breath. "Get up. If you rest now,
you'll feel more tired later," The Guardian groaned, forced to admit he was right. He got up and
began walking down the hallway, towards what he hoped was a way to shut off Rasputin.
And so it was, that neither saw the piece of fabric stuck between the rocks, and it was
impossible for them to see the rest of the cape, fluttering in the wind, forever marking the spot, that
the great Cayde-6 made his final stand.