The Legend

Chapter 3: Cayde's surprise

"So you're telling me, The Intent, just vanished?" Captain Thomas Lasky whispered to Roland, the native smart AI of the Infinity.

The AI nodded and pulled up another file, this one a log of emergency beacons sent out by the missing prowler. "That's what I'm getting from these beacons. The logs indicate that the ship started to experience gravity manipulations while slip space ruptures were detected all around them. The next thing you know their powers gone and they just… vanished."

Lasky leaned back in his chair. He ran a hand through his hair before leaning forward. "Has anyone else gotten the distress calls?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." Roland replied as his avatar flickered slightly. "No one's reported anything so far, but I have my suspicions the Sangheli may have received something."

"Why?"

"Well sir," The AI started, "they weren't far from Sangheli space. I wouldn't be surprised if the Arbiters men got a hold of the signal. Why they have't contacted us about it, I have no idea."

The Captain nodded. It was by sheer luck they had been nearby, investigating another deep space anomaly, when they picked up The Intent's distress signal. They had rushed to the scene only to find empty space.

"What about that construct the beacons reported about?"

"I'm still trying to get a read on it sir," Roland stated as he waved away the files that Lasky had clearly finished reading. "Nothing solid yet."

Again Lasky nodded. "Keep me updated, and get us to High Com as soon as possible."

"Sir." And with that, Roland vanished from the private holotable in Lasky's quarters.

The man leaned forward and with a cross movement of his hands, opened up a map of the galaxy. He ignored the glowing and licking lights and focused on the edge of the galaxy, where the Intent had gone missing.

A prowler, in UNSC space had just vanished. That didn't just happen, and what really worried him was this construct. Alice, the Intent's AI, had failed to identify it and now Roland was having trouble. Whatever readings they had gotten on the construct were obviously of an unknown origin. That meant not UNSC, Covenant, or even Forerunner.

So what the hell could've just made the ship vanish?

And where the hell were they?

Lasky sighed and stood up before he powered down the holotable. He walked out of his room, prepared to head to the bridge and inform his crew of the situation.

"Where are you Palmer?"

"Just die!"

Kathy spun, her blade sinking into the head of a thrall while her other hand powered up an arc grenade. She pulled her blade from flesh and threw her grenade right at the mass of Hive heading for her.

Lightning sported out and ripped the twenty or so Thrall's and Acolytes into a million pieces. She was forced to abandon her survey of the damage when a Knight swung for her head. She rolled under its swing and brought her shotgun to bare, then she blasted the knight at point blank range.

The shot damaged the Knight and it roared then swung at her once more. She sidestepped its next swing then fired again with her shotgun. The shots broke its chest plating, but it charged her. Wide eyed, she rolled out of the way before spinning to her knees and firing a third shot at the beast's back.

This time the shots brought the beast down with a satisfying cry.

She huffed once then teleported right behind a wizard that had turned its sights on her. She fired twice at its back but it turned quicker than expected and unleashed a flurry of arc bolts. She was forced to teleport above the wizard and landed on its shoulders. Her hands released her shotgun as she grabbed its shoulders.

Black fog blasted out from the the wizard, and Kathy's shields burned. She pulled her blade out and slammed it in between the hive creatures shoulders.

A strangled cry escaped the wizard. The hunter girt her teeth and dug her blade all the way to its hilt before she teleported again, this time in front of the wizard, and slapped her arc grenade on its face before she landed on the ground. It took a split second, but she teleported just as the grenade went off and sent the hive monster to hell.

She stumbled as she landed and drew her scout rifle. A few pot shots took out three more thralls and a few stray dregs from the Fallen reinforcements.

For a moment she listened.

The shooting had stopped, the shrieks had stopped, and with a sigh she lowered her weapon.

"Took long enough." She groaned as she stretched and felt her back pop. She hated fighting the hive. It required so much movement thanks to their monstrous attitudes and absolute dismay for fighting with actual tactics.

Chunks and shards of broken hives warriors laid around her feet and she kicked them away as she looked for her shotgun. She found it and slung it over her shoulder. The added weight went unnoticed and she scanned the area to see whether or not she was alone.

"Nice job killing that wizard. A little slow though if you ask me." Of course the hunter from team EXO, Varric, would be sitting atop a burned out car flipping his knife around, not even bothering to look at her as if he was bored.

Kathy grit her teeth. "Kiss my ass." She turned on her heel and looked for any other, more tolerable, Guardians.

Bodies lined the streets as she took a few steps closer to the crashed ship. In the midst of the fight she had been forced to make her way from the ship by several hundred feet so she could teleport amongst her enemies and gain an advantage.

It had been too close quarters, with hive and Fallen every two feet and a guardian fighting every three.

She was relieved to see the entirety of all four teams gathering next to the crashed ship. She wasn't relieved to see a dull white armored woman standing off to the side with her weapon raised at the Guardians.

So she survived… Kathy thought as she got closer to the downed ship.

"Good to see you didn't die. Thought we lost you." Jorah stated with a curt nod as she approached her fellow Guardians, her eyes never leaving the strange woman.

She replied, "can't kill me off that easily."

"Easier than you could kill a wizard." Varric said as he walked right by her, still flipping his knife over and over in his hand.

"Can it Varric." Kathy snapped back, momentarily losing her focus and shooting a glare at the hunter.

"Stop it. Both of you." Jorah ordered with a monotone voice. The titan turned around and looked right at where Kathys fellow fireteam members were- along with their would be kidnapper.

The armored woman stood with her weapon still raised at the group of guardians even though she was stuck between a warlock and titan.

Behind her mask Kathy raised an eyebrow. Not even five minutes after fighting and this woman was prepared to start another fight. She wondered what had her so confident.

"Now," Jorah started, "like I was saying before we were so rudely interrupted, lets talk this out like civilized people."

The woman took a step back, the pistol still raised at them. Kathy raised her own weapon in response as did her team.

"You have no hostage, and you're outnumbered and outgunned." She heard the calm voice of Gorvon state.

She then added, "plus we just saved your ass from the Hive and Fallen. You owe us." Then a realization dawned on her. "And where are those forces that had us surrounded?"

Aside from the guardians and this mystery woman, she hadn't seen another person fighting or even shooting at the Hive or Fallen. A well played ruse on the mystery womans part.

"So," Jorah asked, "can we talk this out, Commander Palmer?"

The air froze and Kathy hardened her gaze. The woman wasn't relenting. She was going to-

"Fine." The woman, Commander Palmer, said. She lowered her weapon. "My Captain want's to speak with you."

Kathy spared a glance at the ship. She wondered how many more of them were on it. "You're from that ship?"

The Commander nodded once.

"Jorah," she asked in a soft voice as Tyrion relayed her communications to a private Com channel so they could speak, "what do you think?"

"We need to find out how many there are first. Maybe the Captain's more reasonable." Jorah replied.

She grunted, "maybe. wonder if their Awoken, or lost Exo." She glanced back at the ship. "They're definitely not Guardian's."

"That much is certain." Then Jorah switched from their private channel to his speakers on his helmet. "I'll speak with your Captain."

The Commander was still, but Kathy could she the slight tilt of her head as she obviously studied them. She then took a step forward. "He's on the ship, but I can relay his voice through my helmet."

There was a barely audible tick of static then a new voice, "my name is Gregory Holland of the United Nations Space Command, Captain of the Intent. Whom do I have the pleasure of speaking too?"

It was a man. His voice was warm and far friendlier than the woman before them.

"My name is Jorah, leader of Fireteam Infinite and Guardian of the Last City."

Kathy raised an eyebrow. Since when did Jorah introduce himself like that? Then again she'd never seen him really introduce himself. Everyone in the Tower already knew who he was.

"Jorah, I have to thank you and your fireteam for cleaning up those intruders out there. A few more hours and I'm sure they would've found a way to breach our hull."

"What about us?" Kathy heard Marco complain over their private team channel, but she ignored him and listened.

Jorah relaxed and replied. "You're welcome Captain Holland, but I would be lying if I said we weren't trying to do the same thing."

"Only makes sense. We did crash land on your planet."

The leader of team Infinite then sighed. "Captain Holland as much as I appreciate the pleasantries, I must ask, who are you aligned with?"

Straight to the point then… Kathy thought.

There was a brief pause.

"We're aligned with the UNSC, as I stated earlier." His voice was uncertain, not in the skeptical kind of way, but in the confused kind of way. It made Kathy question whether or not he was telling the truth.

"I don't know who or what the UNSC is." Jorah stated. She could see him tensing up under his armor. "but your soldier tried to take one of ours hostage. Not a good way of starting a relationship."

"I apologize for her actions. She was acting under orders. I wasn't sure whether or not you were friendly. As you can see, our first impression of your planet wasn't a good one."

"Fallen always mess up everything don't they? Dicks." Marco mumbled over their team channel. Kathy grinned at his jest.

Jorah then responded to the Captain, "well the Fallen aren't friendly to anyone other than themselves and the Awoken. They'll keep sending troops here to infiltrate your ship, and one way or another they'll figure out how to."

"What do you suggest we do?"

Jorah stepped towards Commander Palmer. "The way I see it you have two options. One," he raised one finger and pointed it straight at Palmer. "you stay here and die."

He lowered his finger. "Or two, you and your people come with us and we take you to the Speaker. He'll be the one to decide what happens to you next."

"Well I'm sure you can understand my unwillingness to depart from my ship with a group of highly trained killers we just met."

"I can, but either you decide quickly or we decide for you." Jorah said, his grip tightening on his weapon. "At least one of these options has a way of you not dying."

Kathy stepped forward, and over the private Comm line growled, "Jorah, what are you doing? We can't risk taking someone like Palmer to the Speaker. Why would you even think that's a good idea?"

"We have to risk it. If we leave them here, they'll probably die, but if they come with us the Speaker could tell us who and what they are."

"Personally I can't sense any darkness or ill will in them. In fact, I can't even sense any light coming from them." Gorvon then added.

"Like the Cabal?" She added.

"Sort of, but their leader seems open to negotiations. Only makes sense we should try to get our leaders to talk it out rather than having us and another faction killing each other left and right." The warlock replied.

"That's the plan." Jorah finished, then is voice announced from his helmet speakers, "whats your decision Captain Holland?"

There was silence.

Kathy's gaze narrowed.

"Captain?"

There was a hiss, the sounded of metal gears turning and pressure being released. All twelve guardians spun on their heels, weapons raised at the ship behind them.

She raised an eyebrow as the back half of the ship opened up and a ramp lowered to the ground.

A man with olive skin, short hair, and a warm smile walked down, flanked on either side by armed- what Kathy figured was- soldiers. The dirt crunched under his boots as he stepped off the ramp and walked towards the Guardians.

"We'll take option two, but I have a few conditions of my own." His voice filled the air.

Kathy though didn't register what he said.

All she knew is that she was surprised.

He was shorter than she expected.

The Captain then straightened himself and she couldn't help but be perplexed by his attire as well as his soldiers. Their armor looked ancient, and useless. It failed to cover their heads, and the material looked more frail then her vanity mirror.

But the biggest surprise: he was human.

Then Marco's voice filled her ears.

"Well shit. The bastards human."

"Captain Lasky."

Lasky gave a salute as he greeted, "Lord Hood."

The High Com Admiral nodded once at the younger Captain before he gestured to the seats in front of his desk.

As Lasky took a seat his eyes took in the office. It was grand, large and oval with a window in the back that overlooked the Sydney Bay, white pristine walls, beautiful paintings that hung on the walls, and was finally graced with the breath taking oak wood desk that sat in the center. If it wasn't for the holographic display on the far wall, and the one on his desk, Lasky would've thought he was in the long lost past.

"Captain Lasky," Lord Hood started as he took a seat.

"Do you know of the ONI station Argent Moon?" A new voice started and Lasky turned to see none other than Serin Osman, head of ONI, standing behind his seat. Instantly the Captain felt his gut twist. Osman was a shark, the shark of ONI. The woman who replaced Parangosky. He remembered being questioned by her about Halsey's escape.

"Can't say I do." Lasky replied as he clasped his hands behind his back. He could feel his heart accelerate.

Osman nodded. "Over eighteen month ago we lost contact with Argent moon. We don't have any reason as to why, but we've picked up Kig-Yar communications that indicate some of their scavengers have located the vessel."

"Osman wants you to send Blue team." Hood then added. Lasky glanced at him but said nothing about the cold gaze the Admiral sent towards Osman.

"Blue team?" Lasky questioned, turning to raise an eyebrow at Osman. "Why not just send a squad of Spartan IV's? Why blue team?"

Hood then continued, "As you know I ordered Blue Team for shore leave, but Spartans aren't very good at shore leave."

Lasky nodded. "Hence why you reassigned them to NAVSPECWAR."

"Yes," Hood nodded then waved his hand over his desk. A hologram of the galaxy appeared. "Argent Moon's located on the way to where we lost contact with the Intent." He pointed at two separate spots on the hologram. "You're to stop at Argent Moon and allow Blue team to recover all intel, then proceed to the Intents last known location once they've completed their mission."

"Sir, question," Lasky leaned forward in his chair. "why Blue Team?"

Hood's eyes locked on his but the man didn't speak instead it was Osman. "After the fiasco with Halsey we need a team we know can secure Argent moon without a shadow of a doubt."

Tom held his tongue. He had an entire contingent of Spartan IV's, but Osman found them inadequate. Of course the Spartan II's were legend, especially the Master Chief, but it was rather insulting for her to think his people weren't enough.

"Blue team will arrive in twenty two hours, after that head out." Hood stated, his voice softer as if trying to sooth the tense atmosphere.

Lasky looked at him and nodded. "Yes sir."

"What the hell do you mean the Speaker and Cade are only letting team Infinite sit in?" Marco growled as he shot up from his seat in the lounge.

"I mean exactly what I said." Kathy snapped, her eyes burning into the larger mans angry gaze as she walked down the last step to their designated hangout- the lounge in the hangar. Most Guardians didn't hang out here, but they liked to since no one else did.

Marco pursed his lips and broke the stare down as he turned his back to her and sat down. Kathy shook her head as Leon placed a hand on her shoulder. "He's just pissed that they get all the credit."

"They always do." Marco growled as he crossed his legs and narrowed his gaze at the two.

"Grow up, Marco." Kathy sighed, walking past him and plopping herself down onto one of the other couches.

"I mean, he's not wrong." Becky, from fireteam Foxtrox, added as she sipped on her glass of wine- which Kathy wasn't sure where she had got from. "Infinite does tend to get a lot of credit."

"Well what do you expect, they're the best." Gorvon added from where he was leaning against the wall, polishing his helmet.

"The best at what bragging?" Marco scoffed. "Jerks get all the fun."

"Boo hoo." Kathy quipped as Tyrion popped out next to her, floating up to face her with a light twist.

"Tyrion, you agree with me right?" Marco asked as he leaned towards the ghost.

The ghost hesitated. "Id rather not say."

"Man, Kathy has you whipped."

"Kathy, has never tried to physically harm me with a whip."

The Titan groaned while Leon and Gorvon laughed. Becky rolled her eyes and returned to drinking her wine.

"Ignore them Tyrion. Whats up?" The red headed hunter said as she turned her attention to her ghost and the other returned to their own conversations.

"Yes," The startled little AI quipped, "Cayde is looking for you."

Everyone stopped talking and Kathy felt the heat threatening to rise in her cheeks. She could feel their eyes. Their curiosity. "Why?"

"I am uncertain. He simply sent you a message saying that you need to meet him in the Hall of Guardians."

She looked at Marco who shrugged, then at Leon who stated, "well at least you get to do something."

Kathy sighed. "I'd rather not. Cade has a tendency to send us on suicide missions."

"He means well." Gorvon coughed before shaking his head and grabbing the wine glass Becky held out to him.

"Yeah." The hunter shook her head before standing up as Tyrion dissolved into nothing.

"Let me know if you need anything." Leon added as he took her seat.

Marco rolled his eyes. "Yeah same here. Unless it has anything to do with getting you new clothes. Last time I helped you with that I ended up waiting for you outside that shop for six hours."

"Whatever." She quipped back as she made her out of the lounge and up the stairs.

The sounds of ship landing, and taking off filled her ears. She tuned out the conversations of her fellow guardians as she walked by, especially Roni 55-30. Damn machine was always trying to get her to buy new gear.

She hopped up the next set of steps, walked through the next hall, then out into the open where Master Rahool, the Cryptarch, was talking to several guardians.

Rahool sent her a nod which she returned before continuing on her way to the hall. There were a few more sets of stairs that she treaded, then passed the crucible quarter masters before she found herself walking into the hall of Guardians.

Surprisingly it was empty. Even the frames- the machines that helped maintain the Tower- were gone.

Kathy blinked a few times before she heard a clink and turned to her right.

There was Cayde, one foot planted against the wall and hands wrapped around a screen that he was apparently trying to pull off the wall. He was frozen, staring at Kathy like she had caught him red handed.

The two stared for what seemed like an eternity, Kathy confused beyond reason as to what Cayde was doing, and Cayde staring at her like she was going to hardcore judge him for what he was doing.

Finally the Exo hunter chuckled. "Let's face it this isn't the worst thing you've caught me doing." He turned back to the screen and ripped it off the wall with a screech of metal on stone. He stared at it then tossed the screen to the floor before wiping his hand together and fully turning to face Kathy.

Kathy shook her head before speaking up. "Uh, what exactly were you doing?"

"Oh that." Cade laughed. "Well Zavala wanted the Frames to start remodeling the place for some reason, just a small renovation, and I hate that damn thing so I decided to help theorems out and rip it out of the wall for them."

"And where are the frames? And Zavala? And Ikora?"

"Oh the frames are on lunch break. No idea where the other are. Probably kicking puppies or something." Cade shrugged. He spun away and wake down to the table in the middle of the room, gesturing for Kathy to follow.

She complied and cautiously moved up behind him. "So why am I here?"

"Oh yeah." Cade said, closing the video game he had just opened up on the tables holo computer. "Sorry about this Kathy but I have an off the books mission for you."

Her eyes narrowed. "Cayde, last time I went on an off the books mission for you I almost got eaten by a giant lizard."

"Yeah that was kind of funny."

"No it wasn't!"

"Well it was funny if you weren't the one about to get eaten. Either way I knew you could handle it. You're the best hunter we have! Besides me of course." Cayde shrugged.

"Varric's the best." Kathy rolled her eyes. She hated the prick, but even she knew he was better.

He waved off her comment. "He's an ass. Besides, you're way more reliable, and him and team Exo are already out on another assignment on the moon investigating some boring disturbances in one of those hive temples."

The next thing that happened was Cayde pulled up a hologram of the solar system. He turned to face the red head and pointed his thumb at the hologram. "This is our solar system."

She raised an eyebrow.

"As you know Kathy we've never sent anyone farther than the Reef. Not after the collapse." He moved his hand and suddenly the hologram zoomed in on a massive planet; Jupiter. "Well, a few hours ago we received a ping on our encrypted channel. The Ghosts analyzed it, and well its one of ours."

"Wait what?" Kathy asked, her interested suddenly spiked and her eyes wide. Why would a Guardian be so far out?

"Yeah thats what I said." Cade replied in a darker voice than before. "The ping was distress signal. We don't know whose though. All Guardians were already accounted for, and after todays events, well it looks like to much of a coincidence."

"And you want me to?"

Cayde turned to her and crossed his arms. "I want you to go out there and figure out where the hell this came from, and who the hell's out there."

"Hmph." Kathy frowned, studying the map in front of them.

"What do Zavala and Ikora think about it?"

"Think? Who the hell's idea do you think it was? I just volunteered you because you're fast, you're smart, and you're agile. If anyone can get this done its you."

She decided to take that as a compliment.

"Anyway," Cayde continued, "the flight out there should take a few hours and we've cleared you for three days of leave. When you get there go with twelve hours of radio silence before contacting us. Make sure no one's listening in. After that report in what you find and we'll be with you the whole way. If you don't report back in forty eight hours we're sending the rest of your team and team Foxtrox to find you."

"Got it." Kathy said with a huff. Not even a day of actual rest and she was already being tossed out to the wolves.

"Good." He turned to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

She froze and narrowed her eyes once more at Cayde. "If this is the part where you admit your undying love for me…"

Cayde grinned. "Be careful, Kathy. Something about this…" He shook his head and glanced out the window on the far end of the room.

"Something about this just rubs me the wrong way."

A/N Heres another chapter! Finally… As you can see things are changing in both universes. Granted no big changes yet, and the canon stories will progress like they do in game. Eventually though we'll see major changes but that's still awhile away. Anyway hope you enjoy! God bless and Review! If you have any questions PM or leave a Review. I'll get back to you as soon as possible.

- Metal4k