Chapter 35: Storm

Like crashing waves just preceding a violent storm, the ships' groans of life rolled upon me. Like drums, I felt my heart rate beat with the slumbering beasts' waking growls. Half of my conscience was torn from me as I became one with my surroundings. The rest of me was still revisiting the memories of loss caused by Sarkaun and the hatred I held for him. But when the reverberations ceased and the rumbling rooted at my feet calmed, my entire focus was placed solely on the Fallen Lord. However our battle would thrive through to its conclusion was beyond my care. All I knew was that I would kill him no matter what, even if I did so with my expiration.

"What are you doing?" Lukos objected, anger rising out of his words like a serpent's venom. "Whatever you're thinking, I don't care. We're fighting this son of a bitch together."

I couldn't imagine how frustrated he was. The grudge we shared against Sarkaun was like a thorn for both of us, but I wouldn't have this fight any way other than my way, "I know you want to kill him badly, and I'm not going to weigh our losses against each other, but I have to do this alone."

"Damn it, Tharsos..."

"Stand back. I won't repeat myself." Sarkaun's casual gaze bounced back and forth between us as he slowly paced to my left, both of his swords in hand and obviously thirsty for my blood. Before Lukos could voice his response, I was prepared for the Fallen's sudden strike. Sidestepping away from his thrust, I stepped inward and shoved my LMG's stock into Sarkaun's gut as hard as I possibly could. Without waiting for an effect, I stepped back once and kicked the side of his knee toward the center of his base.

He roared, from what I could discern was out of momentary pain, but as expected, it didn't dilute his fury or slow his retaliation. As he swept his sword backward, I ducked and somersaulted to my left, fully expecting a second blow to follow. When I rolled up from my back to my feet, my prediction was proven correct as I watched the Lord prepare himself for the next exchange. As I studied my opponent shift his footing repeatedly to throw off my reactions, I thought about my first attacks. Sarkaun was slower than me, but not slow enough to warrant standing in front of him and partaking in a back and forth exchange of attacks. I would surely lose. But I had to determine where his armor was weakest. The composite and metal alloy at his midsection was very dense. I wasn't going to be able to slow him further that way, but taking his legs from him was still key.

Shouldering "Hail of Fire", I released a burst of fire high at the Fallen commander. His reply wasn't expected, but it would have to do. Flashing to the sides in a zigzag fashion, Sarkaun closed in on me and swung at me again. It wasn't until he loosed nearly half a dozen punches from his lower arms that I realized his first attack was only a diversion. Focusing Light into my legs, I launched myself backward to recover from his weighty blows and avoid any further ones, but Sarkaun smelled blood and didn't pause. My shields managed to absorb most of the impact, but I knew that if I were to lose them, I would maybe have my ribs broken with another barrage like that. As he charged after me, I couldn't foresee me surviving if I tried to dodge, so I took the only option left. Joining him in what appeared to be a melee borne of desperation, I bolted after him as well. I kept my body high, and when he attacked again, I took full advantage of his unguarded lower body and skidded toward him and swung my elbow into the same knee I struck earlier, and then launched myself again to safety as his leg buckled under his mass.

Sarkaun let out a guttural growl as he slammed his injured leg's boot down on the ground, immediately shaking the pain off. Instead of risking another close melee, I aimed my weapon at his knee and fired half a drum as I evaded the Fallen's wrathful approach. By the end of my assault, I began to see a difference in his speed and dexterity. My opportunity was closing in quickly. Slinging my rifle around my back, I attacked as swiftly as I could with a powerful leap, electricity charging my entire body. A potent desire to stand above his lifeless and mutilated body distracted me. Upon reaching him, Sarkaun sidestepped once and put his entire weight behind a devastating hook into my side underneath my right arm. The strike combined with my momentum sent me flying. The last time I felt like I was hit remotely this hard was in Old Denver when the Praetorian struck me with his spear. I wasn't quick to my feet. I could tell at least one or two ribs were broken now. As I started to pick myself up, an incredibly sharp pain didn't just stop my movements, but my breath as well. Sarkaun's massive frame grew larger as I knelt on one knee. I only needed one shot. I waited, but when my chance arrived, I couldn't muster the strength and watched as another downward blow filled my view.

A flash blinded me, and when the cloud of streaks blurring my vision dissipated, I watched as Sarkaun clutched at one of his lower arms, severed at his forearm. Lukos spun around from my right and began firing his revolver into the giant's face, forcing him backward. "Get the hell up, Tharsos, or I'm gonna kill him before you do. I can dice his ass up."

"No, I have to do this. Move out of the way."

"Stubborn bastard," the Hunter scoffed, reluctantly stepping away with his sidearm ready for the next fight. "Go down again and I will finish him."

He didn't need to worry. I wasn't going to be in that position again. I pushed the pain aside as I stood back up and equipped my LMG again. As I waited for Sarkaun's move, I couldn't help but notice my slack hold my weapon. Out of frustration, I tightened it and steeled myself for the next exchange. In an instant, the Fallen Lord reversed his grip on one of his swords and thrust it into the ground. Fortunately for me, that already appeared suspicious and when he threw a shock dagger at me with unmatched force, I barely had time to dodge its flight path. By the time I turned back around to face him, he was already upon me again. Expecting another sweep from his swords, I didn't see the flying knee that was his true intention. The power was so momentous, it picked my feet up off of the ground and sent me reeling back. Fortunately for me, it didn't land squarely on my head, but my chest was feeling heavy though. My preparations were nearly complete as I opened fire on Sarkaun again, trying to follow him as he flashed away from the fiery bullets whilst closing the distance to finish me. He mirrored the same movements I had witnessed when he fought me on Earth just before killing Selana. The Fallen gave me what I wanted. When I couldn't see him anywhere in front of me, there was only one place he could have been. Ignoring the pain and fuelled with adrenaline, I spun on my heels and immediately created a Ward shield. The timing couldn't have been more perfect.

Sarkaun's swords struck its surface with incredible force, but I had been conserving my energy as much as possible while I waited for this, and it paid off immensely. The blowback actually broke one of his swords and its splintered blade's shattered pieces rained down on the floor while the other simply recoiled out of the Fallen's hand and flew into the air above us. I couldn't help but smile at the thought that the technique Selana taught me was my ace in the hole. Even Sarkaun couldn't keep up with what followed. The Ward shield disappeared and behind it my fist glowed so intensely with fire and electricity, it nearly blinded me from my target, but with the stunned Lord unable to even mount a defensive, I wasn't in danger of missing. Launching up with all of the strength I could muster, I fired my uppercut right underneath Sarkaun's chin. The blow lifted him up off of his feet and had him falling to the ground, but before his back even hit the ground, I had latched onto his sword midair, generated another Ward shield and launched myself with another Havoc propelled jump toward the falling leader. His sword's blade struck the metallic floor beneath him before he did and sunk deep into it. He wasn't going anywhere and the terribly loud roar of pain confirmed it.

I watched as his large figure struggled against the blade pinning him to the ground. I had to admire his resilience. Despite being stabbed underneath his ribcage, Sarkaun continued to fight, but when I slowly shoved the blade deeper into his torso, his resistance ceased and the beast started to laugh on the ground, "The little human wasted his opportunity to kill me in one blow. As is the feebleness of humanity."

Pinning his upper left arm to the ground, I reached down and tore his helmet from his head and threw it aside. I wanted to see his face. Leaning down with an irremovable grip on his heat sword's handle, I spoke as clearly as possible, "I finish my kills." I couldn't have cared less about what he had to say, even if I gave him the chance. My connection with this creature was finished, and with all of my strength, I roared viciously as I swept the sword plunged into Sarkaun and the floor upward, splitting his torso and head in half vertically. After the gash reached its end, I slammed the sword back into his divided face horizontally. Ether poured out from his entire body as his blood splashed down on my armor from the forceful swing.

I sighed as I walked away from the Fallen Lord's mutilated corpse. How he died was the least he deserved for how he killed those dear to me. My father. Kaeneth and Sideros. Selana. As much as it hurt to know they were still gone, I was relieved he wouldn't be taking anymore lives. Without giving him another thought, I turned to Lukos, who appeared to be stunned at how I ended the Fallen's life. It was time for us to conclude this mission.

"I couldn't have thought of a kill like that," Lukos said, trying to convince me as if I wouldn't believe him. "Ready to get out of this place, big guy?"

"Let's go," I exhaled, holding my wounded side.

"You alright?"

"I'll live," I answered, lowering my hands. Lukos turned, but I stopped at an unexpected sensation through my composite under-armor's glove.

"You coming?" the Hunter asked, facing me with an implied inquisitiveness in his actions. I pulled an object from my belt and held it out. He stared at it and then proceeded to look back up at me, words lost to him.

"There's no salvaging this," I said, dropping the remote detonator to the ground. "At least not without Petros or Selana."

"Let's just go, Tharsos," Lukos pleaded. "We can end this another day."

I shook my head, "No, we can't. We both know the City isn't ready for an assault of these proportions. This has to end now."

I watched as my comrade paced in protest before me, shaking his head all the while, "No. No, there's gotta be another way."

"If Petros wasn't disabled, I can imagine he would be able to access the detonation sequence remotely or he would be able to repair the circuits in the detonator," I offered vainly. "But I don't know how long he's going to be in his condition. We can't risk waiting for him."

Lukos sighed sharply, "So what then? We just blow up with this station?"

"No, Petros has to get back to safety. Only one of us is going to stay to manually start the countdown while the other gets him back to the City."

The Hunter's eyes met the floor, reluctance, anger, and probably even fear holding his head down. "Alright," he said hoarsely. "I'll stay. I'm not worth much there, but I can do this."

I stared at him and he locked eyes with me, even though they were hidden behind our helmets. His naïveté in this situation was almost something worth laughing at. But maybe he knew what I knew and just didn't want to think about the harsh demands our scenario required of us. "Have you forgotten? I'm not technologically inclined. I'm no pilot. And your armor won't protect you from the core's radiation long enough."

His pacing halted, his vocalized frustrations quieted, and his gaze stopped on me, "You can't ask me to do this, Tharsos. I told you I was going to back you up until the end. I'm not going anywhere."

"I wasn't asking. I'm giving you an order. Our battle's finished. Your oath's been upheld and I expect you to fulfill this one as well. See an end to this conflict. For good."

Lukos scoffed, "I can't end this war."

"Prove yourself wrong." Lukos and I had come a long way as teammates and even as friends since meeting nearly a year ago, but as I observed him, I knew one thing that wouldn't change in him was his ability to accept things for what they were. That and saying farewell. As he stood, hesitation and disappointment gluing him to the floor, I stretched my arm forward, waiting for him to return the gesture. He stared at my open gauntlet and clasped my forearm and shook it in silence while looking at me. "It was an honor, brother, to stand next to you." The Hunter didn't respond, but I could tell he was still trying to resist against the decided fate we were both faced with. "I'll try to hold off as long as possible so you have time to get to the Volframio and get clear of the blast radius. Now get going. You have work to do." With that, I held his wrist firmly, withdrew Petros from my belt, and placed him in the Hunter's palm.

I watched the man only a few seconds more, as he understood that I remembered his first words to me when we met. It was the best way I could think of to tell him I had faith in him and his mission. But I had said everything I needed to say and turned away, running back for the Darkness reviving this ancient fleet. I knew Lukos hated the vanity of sacrifices as much as I did, so I had no doubt he would do as I told him. As I retraced my steps, following the old waypoint Petros would have been good to remove from my HUD if he were in operational status, I reflected on a very specific memory with my father. I was very young at the time and didn't understand what he meant when he told me about men and their destinies.

He explained to me we were set on a track that was purposed for something and one day every person would come to learn what their purpose was. It was no surprise his words spoke to me so much now. I thought back to how he told me that the greatest expression of strength is coming to terms with your destiny and facing it with bravery, because whether you turned your back on it or met it face to face, you were going to experience it either way. As I neared the prismatic artifact and the vile power surging from it, I acquired a newfound appreciation for my father's words of wisdom. I knew I was face to face with my fate and I was content. I wasn't afraid.

While I examined it, I tried to account for the time that passed and how close Lukos was to the ship, given the worst case scenario. Knowing him, I could give him about two or three minutes. Maybe four. It felt strange to think about the time I had left, but not in a way that deterred me. From beneath the almost deafening bursts of noise sounding from the Darkness' core, I heard the approach of Fallen infantry and it took only a moment before they opened fire on me. I couldn't afford to fall, and ran deeper into the center of the concave pit housing the Darkness while they proceeded to surround me and the measly cover the short obelisks within offered me.

Their gunfire was carefully placed so as not to damage their fleet's energy source, but I wasn't provided with many opportunities to return fire. Leaning back against one of the taller of obelisks, I snapped around the corner for a brief time to fire my drum's remaining ammunition into my enemies. Not knowing where they were exactly amidst the rest of the small protrusions, my shots failed to eliminate any of them, but I managed to catch sight of a few. First reloading "Hail of Fire" for the final time, I breathed in deeply and aimed around the other side of my position to throw off their expectations. This time, I managed to kill two of them, but I could tell they were closing in. Likely just fast enough to have me expend all of my munitions and kill me at close range.

Taking the last of my Shockwave grenades, I tossed it along the floor. It rolled upward nicely and detonated near the top of the crafted crater, sending three other bodies flying away from the epicenter. Those outside of the lethal range were shocked by its electrical charge and exposed themselves. Taking advantage of their open defenses, I placed small bursts into their chests, instantly killing them. In a rage, the remaining forces returned fire aggressively, and I could barely hear their forces replenish from a distance, but the increased volume of firepower couldn't deny that there were more soldiers surrounding me than I thought.

Soon enough, my LMG ran dry, and the hollow click implied the loss of another "friend". I had relied on this weapon for so long, only to hear its fiery breath for the last time. Having actual respect for the weapon, I sat it down on the floor at my feet and withdrew "Celestial Hammer". It only had three missile canisters left, but I knew it would be effective in clearing the hostiles out. Placing its ergonomic brace on my shoulder, I pivoted and fired the first canister as a compact cluster that fired down the range of obelisks and detonated along the far edge of the concavity. The explosion didn't fail to impress and several cries echoed through the sounds of combat. As I returned to my cover, a bold Fallen charged after me, trying to kill me in a melee. An intense pain shot through my torso as the Raider unintentionally hit my broken ribs. As a reflex, I parried his following strikes and slammed his head into the obelisk's face twice before his body went limp, but having exposed myself, I took three well placed shots to my body. Another hit my right leg as I pulled myself back behind my defensive position. It was then I realized the radiation more so than anything had rendered my shields useless. I could only wonder how long I had been fighting without them.

Furthermore, I thought about how long I had fended them off. Was Lukos near to or on the ship? To be safe, I decided to try to hold my enemies off longer. Leaning my back against my cover, I inched my way back to my feet and fired the other two canisters at my enemies, each taking several lives each. I fell back down to the floor, dropping the exhausted missile launcher in the process. Inhaling and exhaling laboriously, I stared at my immediate surroundings before glancing at "Make My Day" strapped around body. Pulling it from around my head and shoulder, I rested my head back and flared my fingers around its grip and trigger. As I did, it felt differently. I had failed Thureos. For years, I was tormented by my inability to protect my little brother, but the guilt didn't grip me now as badly as it had all of that time before. I wasn't sure if it was because I had forgiven myself in some manner or if it was because there was one person I didn't fail after all of this had passed. For the first time in my life, I felt worthy of using my family's shotgun in its final moments. Pulling myself back up to my feet, I was reminded of how effective and accurate this weapon was when target after target was blown back from the buckshot. As I placed all of its ammunition into my foes, it reminded me of shooting it with my father and brother at firing ranges when I was younger.

My content smile diminished when it was depleted of its shells. The Fallen had landed a few other shots in me and I slid down to the floor, "Make My Day" resting still on my lap. After all of my weapons were emptied, I realized just how extensive my injuries were. My ribs were making it even harder to breathe. Several muscles' strength was reduced to nothing since shrapnel tore them apart. While no serious arteries were hit, I was bleeding badly and I wondered if I was internally as well. Weakly setting my shotgun to my side, I stared at the Armageddon bomb while the Fallen continued to try to fire at me, even though I was mostly concealed behind the obelisk.

I had to trust that Lukos was clear of the blast radius. I had to have faith in his ability to complete his mission. Even if the Fallen and Cabal, in part, were beaten back, there were dangers to humanity, both within the City and outside of it, still thriving. I regretted not being able to do more, but I couldn't help the circumstances that forced us into this situation. As my vision gradually darkened and my hearing dulled, I realized it was wrong of me to doubt him and put my uncertainties to death. I had to believe he would succeed, but I knew I couldn't fail here either.

Picking my heavy body up, I pulled myself toward the nuclear warhead and placed a weak Ward shield between my attackers and me. Nearly falling over, I set the counter on the bomb to thirty seconds. Staring at the static, holographic numbers on the small screen, I thought of the end of my mission being only half a minute away. More so, I felt some accomplishment and relief in being able to rest easy knowing I succeeded in my final hour, despite all of my defeats as Fireteam Shachal's leader. When it counted most, we were victorious, and as I leaned upward on my knees, I pressed the activation key and watched the timer tick down.

My head hung low and my eyes were closed. Before I drew my last, there was only one thing I wanted to think of beforehand. I missed Selana so much. All I wanted to do was see her again. I didn't know when I would, but for the first time I was thankful for my keen memory and looked back on my days with her at my side. A tear signifying so many things streamed down my face before I opened my eyes and watched the counter at five seconds. I would be a part of this annihilation. Fuelling my body for one final Havoc Fist, I was engulfed in a storm of flame and lightning and slammed my enclosed hands down in front of the Armageddon nuke, releasing all of the Light I had left in me to join the detonation in defeating my enemies. A blindingly bright flash of light enveloped me, concluding my last defense for humanity.

The nuclear explosion was without sound, but the illumination created from it was undeniably extraordinary, and Lukos glanced to his side to look at the overwhelming glare stretch its fingers out through the space he had put between him and the relay. Sweeping back around after having ensured he was clearly out of range of the blast, he observed the scene. The Armageddon nuke was no weapon to underestimate. Lukos couldn't account for much of the material that made up the relay. A few larger pieces that were further from the epicenter of the blast either floated in Jupiter's orbit, or were being propelled into its atmosphere and space. None of the pyramidal ships seemed to survive the explosion. Many of the Fallen vessels were destroyed as well. Those that survived began to distance themselves from the cataclysm.

Tharsos prevailed and crippled the Fallen efforts single-handedly, but Lukos detested the cost this win had to come by. The Volframio had never felt more lifeless. The Hunter stared into the black of the cockpit, no voices or presences to accompany him back to the Last City. As he recounted his last words with Tharsos, all he could think of was the regret he felt for not being able to stay with him to the very end. It haunted him for hours as he steered the vessel toward the center of the solar system. If any of them were still alive, he knew none of his teammates would have scorned him for leaving. It had to be done. But no matter how much he tried to convince himself that he did what he had to do, it didn't feel right. He felt like he betrayed his trust. As he stared at his hands on the controls and consoles, Lukos despised the fact that he was the only one that was able to pilot the ship and Tharsos was the only one that would be able to withstand the radiation. He wished for nothing more than to be able to trade places with a man he deemed more valuable to him than his own life.

The Hunter's heart grew even darker and more confused as he continued to his friends' home; a connection he couldn't share with them. For several hours, he couldn't find the escape of sleep, but when his body couldn't keep up with his despair, he almost did. The sight of Earth becoming more visible was the only thing that stayed him succumbing to that respite. While he neared, Lukos wondered how he was going to explain everything to the City's leadership concerning Shachal's actions. He didn't really want to, but Tharsos' final wish was for Lukos to continue fighting the war he would have fought if he could, and bring it to a conclusion favoring humanity. Determined to see his comrade's desire come to fruition, the Hunter was determined to suffer what he had to in order to see it achieved, or at least do as much as he could toward that end.

Saying Lukos was disconnected and withdrawn from his superiors' one-sided remarks was definitely an understatement. Since before having touched down, he was escorted by patrol ships to the hangar itself when he approached the Wall. There he was secured in several restraints, including those that nullified his ability to manipulate or discharge his Light, and was led under heavy and wary guard back to the Council Hall. Fastened to his stand, Lukos stood inaudibly, surrounded by not just the High Council and FOTC, which wasn't ordinary for them, but the Minor Council as well. Murmurs of curiosity and disdain whispered on calm currents in the open and acoustic space while the High Council and generals, eyes fixed on the lone Hunter, struggled to communicate anything to him.

"How long will you refuse to answer our questions and idle?" Councilman Polemos sneered, impatience spoken mostly from his tapping fingers rather than his voice. Yet another unvoiced reply lingered.

But eventually blinking his silence away, Lukos' gaze shot upward, "How long did you intend to sit idly by while the Fallen put their guns to your heads?"

"You would do well to note who you're addressing, Outcast," the senior politician retaliated, leaning up in his seat. "Test my patience again and I would see you executed before exiling your filth to the Wilderness again."

"You would like to see that, wouldn't you?" Lukos remarked promptly.

"Quiet, both of you," the stern Chief Councilman interjected. "Guardian Chorvo, we cannot resolve this issue until you decide to participate. If you would, please explain your and Tharsos Katenos' actions to the entirety of this committee. I prefer to pass fitting justice determined by the full truth instead of resorting to sentence a man because his stubborn silence accused him of inaccurate faults. Why did you and your unit disobey direct orders issued by the High Council and enforced by the FOTC? I find it hard to believe blind mutiny was your goal."

"Whatever your courts judge 'fit' for my supposed crimes, I'm not guilty of anything deserving of your inflated sense of justice," Lukos hissed. As his statement closed, his eyes fell on another detached member of the meeting. Helios' eyes were drawn into empty space as the Hunter's were earlier. He was obviously still overcome with depression over Selana's passing, but Lukos couldn't help but wonder if Tharsos' absence occupied his thoughts to a substantial degree as well.

"I want to help you, Guardian Chorvo, but please don't overextend your brash freedoms. The last thing I want is for your guilt to intensify due to your behavior. Again, tell us why you defied orders."

Lukos' shoulders fell with his exhausted sigh, suggesting to his audience there was much to his justification, but when he spoke, his tone had it decided that he would put it plainly. "We did alone what you should have done."

Councilwoman Shomah let out her first words, "And what was that specifically?"

"Putting an end to the genocidal campaign started by the Fallen. On several occasions, your conglomerate of authority hadn't displayed decisiveness, preparedness, or a desire to defend what you claim to hold important to you, namely the City's people. We would have asked for your support, but at every crossroads, you forced us away from the inevitable threat that loomed over us for the better part of the year. You killed your trust, so we continued the mission we started in Old Denver, because it had to be done. Someone had to do something unlike all of you who sat on your asses and watched blissfully as extinction came to reap an ignorant harvest."

"Your conceited reply isn't doing you any favors, Guardian," Major General Pistos informed the Hunter. "You accuse the City's sworn leadership of intentionally neglecting its defense against the Fallen assault?"

"I am. Once, I wasn't sure if I could blame all of you for sitting on your hands, but as my team repeatedly tried to follow your demands, it became all too clear that you didn't hold this place in as much regard as you like to think you do."

"So what would you have us do then?" Polemos asked coarsely. "Thank you for your performance rooted in disobedience? For your success in accomplishing your brazen goal?"

"Don't thank me. Thank my team who died for your sorry ass, old man. I saw those ships. Trust me, if it went your way and you waited for the Fallen to attack your Wall, you would have been crushed once their fleet destroyed it. From now on, you can rest assured knowing Kaeneth, Sideros, Selana, and Tharsos gave their lives so that you could sleep peacefully at night."

"I've had it with this Outcast! What person in the City would respect our authority if we let this disrespectful little shit go with only so much as a slap on the wrist? The least he deserves is death and an unmarked grave outside of the Wall."

"Hodego, who would respect our authority if we flew into a rage at every insult thrown at us? As a matter of fact, how many thousands would die if we answered their disapproval with that same brutality?" Councilman Manda countered from his relaxed position. "We aren't tyrants. Although his manner is distasteful, Guardian Chorvo is entitled to his opinion, even if it's foundation is questionable or outright false."

Supreme General Dunatos' mighty gaze fell upon Lukos and he came out of his silence. Lukos knew there was at least more to this Exo than the other nine officials seated around him, but whether he was friend or foe was still in question, and no one needed to know he broke prisoners out of confinement other than Lukos and the general himself. For now anyway. "So Tharsos Katenos has truly perished?"

Lukos aggravation settled and the sting of that truth crept back into his mind, "When Kaeneth died and we commandeered the Falcon heavy-fighter, we were forced to leave it behind on the Fallen battleship. When Tharsos and I went after them again, we found it and took its warhead. After the detonator was damaged in a battle, he stayed behind to manually detonate it while I came back here."

"Unfortunate your places weren't switched," Polemos muttered whilst glaring at Lukos.

"It is," the Hunter said quietly.

Chanan shook his head, "Tharsos Katenos' death is a great loss to the City's defense. I'm sorry." Lukos wasn't necessarily expecting sympathies to be exchanged toward a traitor, but he didn't voice a reply.

"You never struck me as one to abandon your allies," Helios Kaiah said suddenly, his hollow tone falling heavily on Lukos' conscience. "What was it that forced you to return?"

He hesitated. Lukos knew it was dangerous to lose Petros. One of the most significant reasons for Tharsos' sacrifice was to ensure any information the Ghost might have secured would be communicated to defend the City. He must have known the threats as well, but Lukos wasn't equipped or trained to repair him, so he decided to disclose a lie. "Petros, our Ghost, learned more about the Fallen than we thought, but he malfunctioned during the mission. Between us, I was the only one capable of piloting the ship and getting Petros here safely to be repaired."

"I see," Helios murmured, falling back into his personal solitude.

"What will we do with the accused?" the ever-dutiful General Thusio Qorban asked his associates, not failing to keep his eyes locked on the Hunter.

"You know where I stand," Councilman Polemos answered from the end of the table.

"What do you have to say in your defense, Guardian Chorvo?" Councilman Herpeton called. "Your blunt and daring honesty is admirable in some regards, and I would like to hear what you think about any judgment we may or may not pass on you."

"I've never begged for my life, and I never will, but you need to ask yourselves if you truly think you're safe. Sure, the Fallen have been defeated. For now at least. But how long will it take before the next organization of our enemies threatens your lives. Are you going to repeat the same mistakes you made in this instance? How many Guardians will die? How many innocents? How many lives that you could have saved will you extend wasted condolences toward? Before Kaeneth died, he told me about a soldier's legacy. One should aim to never leave war in their wake. Not every one of them succeeds, but the last thing I want is my team's deaths to be pointless." The Hunter turned around to face the 250 other Council members he didn't know, "My family died for you. They died for everyone out there. Will you fight to endure because of their sacrifices, or are you gonna spit on them like you do at the death every fallen Guardian has offered in exchange for your lives?"

Indistinguishable words were shared in hush around Lukos, but many eyes fell low in shame as he pointed their faults out. He stared long and hard at the nameless faces and hoped some permanent impact was made on them. Facing the leadership seated above him, he was met with mixed reactions. Some bore understanding expressions while others remained stoic and reserved. Polemos, of course, retained his hostility toward the Hunter.

"Aside from the obvious desire to see value, for lack of a better word, in your teammates' deaths, what is it you want most, Guardian Chorvo?"

The Hunter's jaw clenched as he thought about how he would answer, and his audience waited patiently, voices hushing as he contemplated. Making bold and unwavering eye contact with the Supreme General, Lukos opened, " My father used to tell me stories about the legendary Fireteam Shachal and how they gave the City hope beyond belief. I want to see the hope my team bought with their lives. I want to see the people fight for life. But more than anything, I want to kill every son of a bitch that wants to harm my friends' home until none of them are left standing."

Calculating losses. Expendable personnel quantities: Approximately two hundred thousand. Surviving combatants: Inconclusive. Expendable vessels destroyed and damaged in blast: 172. Construct's vessels destroyed: All. Cause identified. Fifty megaton nuclear explosion detonated at center of uppermost level of construct. Hostiles accounted for: One. Terminated with nuclear warhead. Anomaly detected: Hostile presence infiltrated Zenith mainframe prior to detonation. Compromises to Zenith integrity: Minimal/maintainable. Probability of data intercepted by hostiles: Inconclusive. Scanning for signature: No successful scans yielded. Unit corrupted. Probability of revival: Minimal. Diagnostic scan on remaining energy cells: Uncompromised and charging. Approximate time until completion: Less than half an Earth cycle. Transmission prioritized. Sending. Zenith confirmed. Disengaging.

In the deep and dark abysses of space near Jupiter, a shadow left its point of observation, being the recently destroyed relay. The Tsa'ah race failed their personal mission, but expectations were not foiled. Possibility of their errors were accounted for. Same routines were made for the Barzelor. Their purposes had been served and their usefulness was becoming trivial. As the vessel's shadow left the scene of devastation, hundreds upon hundreds more appeared from the darkness behind it and lurked forward, reaching deeper into the center of the solar system. Biding time required discretion and patience. The purpose of doing so was for the benefit of maximizing the probability of accomplishment. Unlike the faulty Tsa'ah, when their time was ready, the denizens of Earth wouldn't be able to counter a hostile attack and wouldn't see their doom until it was inescapable. Their targets' eradication and acquisition were imminent.