“I haven’t seen Osiris in years. Decades, even. Much may have changed, or he may already be occupied with pupils. I don’t know. But the sooner we learn if you are truly Risen, the better.” “I understand that this has never happened before,” Cerragus began, “but I fail to see why that’s significant.” Ikora looked at Cerragus, her demeanor softening. “Being a Risen is not just a happenchance occurrence. Thousands of Ghosts can scan one body, but until the [i]right[/i] Ghost, [i]your[/i] Ghost finds you, you do not get in touch with your Light. The Traveler made the Ghosts to find those [i]predestined[/i] to wield its Light. If it made Slate, knowing full well that it would belong to a Cabal, this could severely change the way we look and understand it.” Cerragus blinked. “How?” “Current thought holds that the Traveler holds humanity in high regard,” Ikora explained. “It left the Eliksni to their Whirlwind, and dozens of others before and after them to be consumed by Darkness. We are the only ones it stayed for. We thought we were special.” “How does my resurrection change that?” Cerragus asked as they reentered the hangar bay. “Because it implies that the Traveler new others would be here. It could imply that we aren’t the first race worth saving, but that our system is the final battlefield in an eternity-long struggle of Light and Dark.” “That’s…terrifying,” Slate buzzed. Ikora nodded. “Which is why we need to find Osiris and confirm you’re Risen.” She led them toward a ready and waiting Thresher, summoning Ophiuchus to acquire the necessary clearance. She didn’t get a pair of Eliksni bearing Sol Legion colors got in her way. “Excuse me, ma’am,” the taller of the two hailed with an oddly mechanical voice. “Do you happen to be a Risen bound for Venus?” “Yes. I’m on a tight schedule, and my Ghost is already taking care of—” Before she could finish, both creatures saluted her. The tall one stated. “Sir. I have been ordered by my superior to accompany you to Venus, and request that you drop us off at the Iron Legion base stationed in the Ishtar Sink.” This caught her off guard. She examined the two carefully. “You’re both soldiers. Aren’t you supposed to be on leave?” The tall one grimaced, revealing red lights that gave him away as an Exni. “Sir, I was promoted to sergeant [i]precisely[/i] to carry out this duty.” Ikora smiled slightly. “Speak freely, sergeant. What do you think of your commanding officer that gave you such a promotion?” The Exni’s sneer deepened. “I have never felt contempt for another organism this strong.” Ikora nodded. “We share similar sentiments about our superiors. Welcome aboard.”