Part Six "Match our trajectory," she ordered, "Any deviation will be taken as aggression." We complied and watched as two ships that had been flanking us moved in front to guide our course, and we matched their movements as they led us deeper into the Reef. Soon we found ourselves approaching the hollowed-out hull of a destroyed Ketch, jump ships and other small spacecraft flying in and out frequently. Our escorts split away as we initiated the docking sequence, and I watched as the two small ships shot away, their four-pronged hulls quickly disappearing amongst the clutter of asteroids and wreckage. Once our ship was docked, Blake's Ghost transmatted us onto the bay platform in front of our ship, causing an Awoken woman to jump in surprise. She quickly collected herself, probably thankful that her helm covered most of her face so we couldn't see her expression, and looked down at the data pad she held. This woman must be the shipmaster of this bay. "Only the passenger may come further," the shipmaster told us as she looked back up at Blake from her pad, "The pilot must leave immediately." "If it's all the same to you, I'd like to make sure he gets situated without any trouble," Blake stated. A couple more Awoken in uniform, also female, approached from behind the shipmaster, stopping just behind her with hands resting on the hilts of their holstered weapons. Their armor was decorated in purple and grey with large shoulder plating and helmets that covered all except the nose and cheekbones of their bearers. "You are not permitted," the shipmaster said smugly as her comrades arrived. Blake merely gave the trio an amused smirk. "As if you could stop me with those little toys," he snickered, "You'll lose quite a lot of guards trying to put me down, IF you can even manage it. And then the Vanguard wou-" "Blake," I interrupted, "Please, it is fine, yes?" Blake gave me a long look before taking a step back from the three Awoken and crossing his arms. I noticed that the shipmaster had shrunken a bit under Blake's threats and that the other two now gripped their sidearms tightly. That had come too close to conflict. "I wish to speak to pilot before he leaves, yes," I told the shipmaster, seeking permission. She nodded in consent, her focus remaining locked on the Guardian, and I turned to look Blake in the eyes. We stood silently for a moment before I found the right words to say. "Blake has been good to Vasik," I said thankfully, "Never would have seen Great Machine without Blake." "I wouldn't be here right now without you," Blake sighed, "I owed you for that Vasik." I blinked in surprise. "You used Vasik's name," I said in astonishment, "And thanked me." "Yeah yeah, whatever," Blake grumbled, "Don't get used to it." "Farewell, Blake and Ghost," I said with a chuckle, "Best of luck." "Good bye Vasik," the Ghost said, appearing over Blake's shoulder. "I think you're right," Blake told me, putting a hand on my shoulder, "If you could get someone like me to call one of the Fallen my friend, maybe there's still a chance for us. Take care." "Friend?" I questioned. Blake smiled slyly and took a step back from me. "Yes," he responded just as his body began disappearing in a transmat. A moment later, the engines of Blake's jump ship flared to life and it began to lift out of the dock. "Good bye, friends," I clicked quietly in my own tongue as I watched them fly off into space. "Hey, bug," the shipmaster's voice came from behind me, bringing my attention back to the task at hand, "Get moving." One of them prodded me with her weapon and I began moving under the direction of the two Awoken guards. They guided me through Fallen hallways and doorways that opened as we drew near until I felt that it would be difficult to find my way back. Eventually, we came upon a door that did not open automatically, and one of the guards entered a passcode to open it, exposing a rather dark room. Before I knew what was happening, I was shoved into the room, and the door closed behind me with the two guards still outside as I recovered. Nothing stirred in the room, but I could not see very far through the shadows. "Are you a spy?" a man's voice sounded in the dark, its source obviously in the room with me, but I was unable to pinpoint exactly where. "Not spy," I answered. "Why would you want to work for the Awoken?" the voice asked. "All Kell fight against the Great Machine instead of Dark now, all except the Queen," I responded distastefully. "And you would be willing to work for another species just for that reason?" the voice questioned after a few moments of silence. "Yessss," I answered with a slight hiss at the annoyance of this interrogation. Suddenly, a few lights turned on around the room so that now only the back corners remained unlit, illuminating the form of an Awoken man standing at its center. He wore brown armor holding a gun and knives on it that the man looked ready to use, and he had yellow eyes and black hair that was cut short except for a section that was left long to fall over one side of his face. A perpetual sneer seemed etched into his face and his eyes were hard and piercing, his stance seemingly relaxed but resembling a predator waiting to pounce; this was a man not to be trifled with. "You are an odd one, aren't you?" the man asked, although I was unsure if he was talking to me or himself. His voice was clearly that of the man who had been asking me questions the whole time, and he looked me up and down with a suspicious yet amused expression. "You wear the armor of a Dreg, yet you have four arms," he noted, "Were you to be a Vandal?" "No," I answered simply. "A Dreg then?" he inquired, "Or at least one that indulges himself greatly." "...No," I responded after thinking for a short while, "Vasik is no longer Dreg." "So it has a name," the man said mockingly, "But maybe that's a lie as well." "I have told you no lie," I insisted. "Alright, then let's see how convincing your story is," the man went on, waving his hand at me to show he wanted me to speak. "I was Wolf when Reef Wars started," I began, and the man's eyes narrowed but I continued nonetheless, "And was docked and banished early on. Devils took me in, I survived and thought about why we were Fallen. I thought and I listened and I thought...and I learned. Devils did not know I was arm fabricator of Wolves, and I built secretly, yes. Broke away a few rotations ago and found Guardian. City would not accept me, so I settle with Reef. Wolves are only other home I have known, and Queen does not fight Great Machine." "Well, I must say it is a story almost as odd as your appearance," the Awoken man said thoughtfully, "I will allow you to stay in our Reef, but don't expect to just be given a good place. We wouldn't want you to have access to anything if you are a spy." "More like Fallen-controlled House than I thought," I chuckled. The man scowled and my laughter ceased. "Don't joke with me, bug," he snarled, "Maybe work will drive your humor away. Guards." At his call, the two guards that had brought me to this room opened the door and entered, each taking up positions to either side of me. "What is your name...captain?" I asked, using the only position I could think of that fit his attitude to rank him. "Prince Uldren, Master of Crows," he told me boastingly, "And you will call me as such." "Farewell, Master of Crows," I acknowledged, "We will see how you command Vasik, yes?" "Have fun," Uldren called sarcastically as he waved his hand, signaling the guards to take me away. The two Awoken woman grabbed me by the upper arms and turned me around, then led me out the door and through the maze of halls once more. __________________________________ Link to part 5: https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/220869974/0/0 Link to part 7: https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/220870223/0/0 Link to Archive: https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/217384398/0/0