Location: Vestian Outpost, The Reef, Asteroid Belt

Time: 19th February 3275.

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WELCOME TO PALADIN LUKAS' PERSONAL TERMINAL

PERSONAL LOG: INTRO OPENED

If you're reading this then you've stumbled onto my personal terminal in a private area of the Vestian Outpost you are most likely unauthorised to be in. (Petra if this is you then give a guy some privacy, please. That goes for you too, Variks). As this terminal contains no vital information concerning the security of the Queen and her people, you will not be given a major punishment for your access to the terminal however you will be tried for trespassing and unauthorised access of private property. The doors are locked behind you. As soon as you accessed my terminal the door locked and I have the only way of getting in. Call me paranoid but I've had an assassination attempt on me before where the assassin accessed my terminal so I put these measures in place to make sure that it will (hopefully) never happen again.

Since you're most likely going to be stuck here for a while until I return you might as well stick around and read the entries on this terminal. My story. Maybe you can learn something from it; like what it's like to be a subject of the Queen. I don't know. It's not like you're going anywhere.

Well let's begin then.

My name is Paladin Lukas, defender of Her Majesty Mara Sov, Earthborn Awoken, a former Hunter and Guardian of the Last City. No, I wasn't exiled like Osiris and Toland. Yes, I am not welcome back on the Tower. Let me be clear that this was by choice. I don't know what the Vanguard is saying about me but this is the truth: I willingly left. I didn't 'fall to the darkness' or anything of the sort. I am still connected to the light. Yes, the rumour is true: I did shoot Prince Uldren in the testicles with a hand cannon, I'll get to that part. Have we cleared those ones up? Good.

This all started way back when at my rebirth. My Ghost, who I call Spark, found me dead in the Ishtar Collective archives on Venus. I guess I used to be some kind of scientist or historian or something before my death. I'm not too sure; Guardians tend not to remember much about their past. Not that it matters now anyway. It just happened to be my luck that the first beings of the darkness that I ever encountered just happened to be some of the most ruthless: The Vex. It gave me nightmares for weeks how I wandered through the dark halls of the Collective looking for an exit only to see their mechanical cold red eyes piercing through the dark and finding me. Their robotic screeches as I gunned them down rang in my head for days after.

When I did find a ship left in the facility, a CX20 Spindle Demon, we quickly took off from that planet and made through the vacuum of space to the Tower. I felt like the ship would explode a number of times through that first flight. I still consider it a miracle that I survived that day.

When I docked at The Tower for the first time and looked up at The Traveller I got a major sense of peace. It felt as if I had just been through hell but now I would be okay. I was safe under the gargantuan orb of light.

My first order of business was to meet Cayde-6, the cocky but loveable Hunter Vanguard. He told me I was a Nightstalker, that I could draw from the void and create a path for my fireteam. He said I was lucky: most Hunters are seen as loners but the Nightstalkers work best in fireteam. I'm not sure about that myself, I hate being around people. After meeting him and getting a pep-talk I visited the Tower Gunsmith, Banshee-44. I chose a hand cannon from him and since I first fired it they've been my favourite weapons. The crisp bang, the recoil, and the powerful round slamming into my enemy was amazing.

After that was training which is where I met my two best friends and fireteam members. The two people who I could always rely on no matter the situation.

Dreske-2 was a Striker, and a damn good one if you ask me. He was reckless but fun however wasn't so quick in the brains department. He wasn't stupid or anything just- a bit slow I suppose. In any case he was my first friend and the funniest Titan I've ever met and that's what counts.

Ellena, on the other hand, was quiet and thoughtful. She was a human Sunsinger and, as that suggests, whilst she had a soft exterior she had an inner burning primal rage just waiting to be unleashed. Dreske and I had been witness to that enough times to know not to piss her off.

I won't lie and say I don't miss them. We weren't a particularly special fireteam, not like the one that took down Crota or destroyed the Heart Of The Black Garden or anything. We had our fair share of accomplishments but we weren't Guardian legend. But they were my fireteam and I wish I could run just one more strike with them sometimes. Don't get me wrong the Reef is great I just- I just wish they were here too, you know?

I'm getting off-track.

So that was it for a while. Dreske, Ellena and I. Fireteam Antares. We had a few good strikes under our belt but nothing that was a particularly major accomplishment. I'd still lay down my life for either of them anyway. Going to cut off this entry here, maybe I'll add some more to it later.

CLOSING PERSONAL LOG: INTRO…

SHUTTING DOWN…

Location: The Tower, The City, Earth

Time: 27th November 3245. 1 month after the death of Crota.

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEE- SLAM

Good morning to you too.

Yeah, I'm not a morning person. Spark flickered to life beside me, I don't know what he does when I sleep. I assume he just watches over me and makes sure that there's no intruders in my room of the Tower. Kind of creepy now that I think about it.

"Dreske! Coffee please!" I yelled. He and I live on the same floor with Ellena, who's probably fast asleep still. Dreske, being an Exo, doesn't need as much sleep as us so it's his morning duty to make the coffee.

"On it!" I hear his gruff voice reply. I sit up in bed and rub my eyes, letting out a yawn. I didn't sleep well at all, night terrors of the Vex. Of all the aliens I've fought it's the Vex I hate the most. It gives me the heebie jeebies to think how an alien race could turn themselves into mind-liquid and place themselves into robotic shells and gain power over time itself. God I hope that's not how humanity ends up.

I get out of bed and look at Spark. "Anything we have to do today?" I ask him as I swing my legs out from under my sheets and stretch my arms. I feel them loosen up and then I stand up, groaning from the strain of doing it so soon after waking up. For somebody who has no issue leaping into the air and firing a void bow off at people it sure is difficult to stand up in the mornings.

"Nothing specific," Spark replied, "but you can always pick up some bounties and actually try some Crucible." So nothing then. Crucible is not my thing- gunning down other Guardians, even when they revive, makes me feel sick.

"And maybe, instead of Crucible, go out into the City for food later," I suggested. Guardian rations aren't exactly made for taste but more for getting as much nutrition into our bodies as possible so a meal out in the City is extremely inviting. Most Guardians are Glimmer millionaires so affording it is not an issue.

"If you want. Weather is going to be good all day on Earth so it'll be- incoming transmission from Commander Zavala." Spark cut himself off to say. I glanced up, interested in why the Titan Mentor would want a chat with me; a Hunter.

"Put it through," I grunted. The stoic and stern voice of Commander Zavala started to emit from my Ghost, with a blue hologram of him standing in the grand Hall of the Vanguard with the other famed mentors.

"Guardian," He said in his typical unemotional voice, "you and your fireteam are to report to us in person in the Hall of the Vanguard. We have a Strike that we believe Fireteam Antares to be perfect for."

"Right," I replied and cast my mind to some rumours that had been flying around The Tower for the past few days, "is it about the House of Winter massing in strength on Venus- the rumour going round is that their Kell is showing on the front lines and taking on the Vex in direct combat, giving them a hell of a hard time."

"Indeed." He confirmed, "Their Kell, Draksis, has his Ketch landed in their territory on Venus. Report to us for the details." The hologram shut off as soon as Dreske walked in holding a steaming cup of coffee. His green mouth and eyes shone from inside his white plating as he spoke,

"Here's your coffee," his deep voice rumbled, "was that Zavala I heard a second ago?"

"Yeah," I confirmed, "get Ellena up, we have a strike to do and the target is our chance to finally get some proper recognition around the City and the Tower. He's the Kell of the House of Winter on Venus. His name's Draksis and, if my memory serves me right, the Queen of The Reef has a bounty on his head. I've always wanted to visit The Reef and if we pull this off then this could be my big chance!"

Dreske simply nodded; he was an Exo of little words. "I'll go get Ellena up then."

I watched him leave my room, taking a sip of my coffee. Within a few seconds I heard a screech and some sort of explosion followed by the smell of smoke as Dreske opened my door, his white exoskeleton blackened in areas. "She's up now." He confirmed but it didn't need saying. Ellena hating being woken up, so I assume Dreske ended up on the wrong side of a firebolt grenade. It wouldn't be the first time.

"Meet me down by the Vaults," I told him, getting myself out of my sitting position and having another sip of coffee, "I'm going to get my armour on and go sell our merch." By 'merch' I mean blue engrams that Dreske and I find in missions and patrols and such. He gets his from the Crucible as well. It does make me a bit queasy that killing other Guardians, even though they can revive, gets rewarded. I just try not to think about it. We sell them to the new Guardians for 250 glimmer each. They love the affordable 'powerful' gear at a cheap price and Dreske and I love the glimmer. The Vanguard and the Speaker (I'm fairly sure) know about it but haven't put a stop to us so I suppose it's okay.

Dreske nodded and gave out a deep, "mhm" however stayed stood exactly where he was. I cleared my throat,

"Dreske. That means leave," I impatiently said, "I'm going to be getting changed."

"Right," he replied and awkwardly left, probably to go think about all the ways he will be gunning down Fallen in our upcoming strike and the weapons he will be using.

"Exo prat," I muttered under my breath and took a final swing of my coffee and undressed out of my pyjamas. Next I pulled on the leathery like material of my Jackknife 1.3 leg armour and the boots. Then I put on the shirt-like piece of underarmour made out of the same leathery material as the leg armour and then finally for the chestplate and arm guards, strapping them on over the under-armour. My Ghost could construct the helmet around my head when needs be. Unlike some Guardians I don't particularly enjoy keeping it on all the time.

I left our floor of the Tower and headed up to the top, triple jumping up staircases like the acrobat that most Hunters are trained to be. I reached the top and took a breath of the fresh air, then gripped the rail of the edge of the Tower and watched. Down below the City was waking up: lights flickered on as shops opened and blocks of people woke up to start another day. Beyond that, The Wall stood proud and strong against the Fallen and Hive threats that would clash with the City Guard daily. Ships buzzed in the air, my fellow Guardians going out to keep us all safe.

I let go of the rail and walked over the the Vault, taking out my The Devil You Don't hand cannon, LDR 5001 sniper and my exotic Truth rocket launcher. My favourite weapons to use.

I leant against the Vault and watched other Guardians go about their business. I recognised some of the famous ones: Kevin, Primes Bane. He took down Sepiks Prime by himself after his fireteam was killed by a Devil Walker. Eris Morn, The Guardian who survived being trapped in the Hellmouth for years. If this new strike goes well then maybe there'll be a Guardian one day leaning here and identifying me as a famous Guardian.

"Lukas," I heard from behind me. I scrambled out of my leaning position and turned round, greeted by the sight of Ellena and Dreske.

"Hey guys," I waved, "you both ready to get our mission?"

"Dreske told me about it, the Kell and everything," Ellena nodded, "let's go talk to the Vanguard then."

We walked together down the steps into the Hall of The Vanguard. I kept my head down and ignored Lord Shaax so he would not try and force me into the Crucible. Wouldn't be the first time.

As we walked into the Vanguard's room Zavala looked up at us and said, "Guardians. I'm glad you responded to my message. Are you ready to receive the full details of your strike?"

Update 29/7/18: Noticed I started calling Ellena 'Marina' at the start then Ellena later. Changed it so she is always always called Ellena.

Update 22/10/18: Went through and corrected some spelling and grammar mistakes.