If you want to move to a preceding or following part, or read an actual description of the story, click [url=http://www.bungie.net/en/Clan/Post/1901902/223764924/0/0]Table of Contents[/url]. She joined Blacklight as a Tombship hovered over the ramp and dropped a cluster of Thrall and a Wizard down. The vessel fired a volley of Void missiles that ejected laterally from its side and swerved unnaturally in midair to target the Guardians. They ducked behind the doorway as the bolts pummeled the outside of the building. The Thrall shrieked as they charged up the ramp, only to be met by rounds of Blacklight’s hand cannon. The Wizard tried to cover her troops with poisonous smoke, but Barego zeroed in with her Solar-charged sniper rifle, cutting through the Wizard’s heat shield and taking its head off. The Tombship took off as the Array behind it opened up into an enormous triangular dish. Another Tombship screeched into existence right where the last one had been, and Thrall screamed out of backrooms along the verandah. Hive Acolytes dropped from the Tombship, followed by a looming, heavily-armored monster with a horned head and wielding a broad sword as long as Barego was tall. Her HUD identified the creature as a Hive Knight, and it waved its cleaver in the air, bellowing in fury. “Ugh, they just get uglier and uglier,” Blacklight scorned. “Let me take care of this guy, you keep the Thrall off my back.” Barego swapped back to her Suros Regime and slew Thrall while Blacklight stowed his hand cannon and pulled out his sniper rifle. It was an Exotic weapon called the Icebreaker, a silver and red gun that looked like a chainsaw because of the energy-collecting panels attached to the barrel. Due to experimental tech, it didn’t have a magazine, but instead a rechargeable battery that regenerated shots over time, maxing out at six high-energy rounds that explosively combusted its dying targets. Blacklight put it to work against the Knight, plugging three rounds into the beast’s head before it blew up. The Acolytes avoided the explosion and leaped onto the main level behind the Thrall, giving them cover fire as the Tombship disappeared. The Guardians hadn’t even finished off the rest of the Hive before a third Tombship split the sky, drawing out more Thrall from inside the building. Red lights played across the bottom of its hull as it dropped in more Acolytes and another Knight, this one carrying a heavy gun. It had a yellow health bar on the Guardians’ HUDs like an Ultra, but at this size it was classified as an enemy Major. “Damn, when will these guys stop coming?” Blacklight complained. “I’ll deal with the Knight this time,” Barego said, pulling out her Cure. A missile erupted from the launcher, barreling towards the Hive Major. The Knight didn’t move to get out of the way. Instead, it put up a hand and swallowed the rocket with a wall of shadow. Its shield shimmered out of existence, and it ran up the ramp shooting mortar-like Arc blasts from its gun at the Guardians. Blacklight threw a flux grenade around the doorway, sticking it to an Acolyte’s foot and sending it tumbling into a pack of Thrall. “Got a plan B?” “Focus on the Thrall and Acolytes!” she answered, tossing a pulse grenade at the top of the ramp. The Knight stopped before colliding with the electricity, watching as Blacklight and Barego cut down dozens of its fellow Hive. By the time the grenade’s energy dissipated, Blacklight was drawing his knife out of the last Acolyte. The Knight was the image of carnal wrath. Its three eyes glowed with hate, spittle flying from its fangs as it cursed them in its language. A red aura enveloped the Hive Major, and it lunged at the Guardians like a stampeding bull. They drew their snipers and filled the monster with burning lead, but the creature was almost immune to pain. It closed the distance with Blacklight and backhanded him, the red energy adding power to its strike and sending the Exo careening into the central column. Barego was about to engage with her auto rifle when she felt something move overhead. He looked up to see Majiraya drop out of a glide, his feet landing on the Knight’s shoulders. The Warlock Scorched the Hive Major in the back of the neck before unloading all five shells of his shotgun into the beast’s head. The Knight crumbled to bony fragments under Majiraya’s feet. He dug around the remains and pulled out a glowing blue engram. Majiraya examined the find. “Rayuh body ahmuh, by the looks of it. The cryptahch will enjoy decrypting it, though I won’t have much use fo’ it.” Barego walked over and helped Blacklight up. “I think I’m about to throw up, and I physically [i]can’t [/i]throw up,” the Exo groaned. “Did we win?” “I think we’re clear!” Sagittarius confirmed. “Let’s go check back with Equinox.” “Oh yeah!” the Ghost said over their headsets. “You need to see this!” When they had gathered back beside Equinox, the Ghost continued, “This Array is controlled by the last Warmind – Rasputin. It’s connecting to defense constructs all across the system. There could be something out there to help us survive the Darkness.” “Is Rasputin doing this to help us?” Barego asked. “Frankly, Rasputin isn’t as cuddly and personable as I am. In fact, I have no idea what his motives are. However, since I put in the codes, there’s a chance I can slip in and—” Suddenly, the screen displaying the Moon was replaced by a PΦБA insignia. “What the hell?” Equinox buzzed angrily. The other screens followed suit, and rest of the controls went dark. Orchestral music played from some unseen speakers. “I don’t believe it!” Equinox cried. “He won’t let me in! He locked us out of the arrays! That selfish, bigheaded, old fogey of an AI…” “Wait, what?” Barego asked. “You mean we can’t access the defense network?” “Not one popgun!” “But why?” Sagittarius asked. “You got me,” Equinox growled, disappearing back into Majiraya’s armor. “Big Russian jerk.” Blacklight rapped his fist against his forehead. “You’re telling me this entire mission was a waste of time?” “Hey, it wasn’t [i]my [/i]fault!” Equinox replied defensively. “It wasn’t [i]any [/i]of our faults! God, I hope Ikora doesn’t have a fit when we give this report.” “You actually touched the Warmind…and provoked a response. Fascinating.” Protégé was back inside the Vanguard Hall and couldn’t believe what they were hearing. “But Master Rey – Ikora – we failed to secure the Array,” Barego contradicted. Ikora shook her head. “As far as I’m concerned, any intelligence gathered can be seen as a victory. But for now, Zavala has need of you. Speak to him, Guardians. And walk with wisdom in the Light.” Majiraya smiled and bowed his head in respect before joining his teammates next to Zavala. The Titan Vanguard straightened some reports on his desk before addressing them. “Protégé. Welcome back, and congratulations on a successful mission.” “But sir, we didn’t get the Array,” Barego repeated, confused. “The Terrestrial Array was Dead Orbit's hope to reconnect to the lost colonies of our inner system,” Zavala explained. “You succeeded where they failed. Though Rasputin seized control of the Array, that only strengthens our resolve to break the old Warmind's firewalls and enlist its help in the wars to come. We must reach Rasputin, and make our case. As for the Hive on the Cosmodrome, we will simply have to keep tabs on them. Hopefully their conflict with the Fallen will distract both forces from formulating any plans to attack the City.” “So…we didn’t botch the job after all?” Blacklight asked. “Phew, that’s a relief! Would’ve hated to get smacked around by Hive Majors for nothing. I’m taking the rest of the day off.” Zavala nodded. “You deserve it. You’ve made the Vanguard proud again, Protégé.” Blacklight and Majiraya lead the way out of the Vanguard Hall. As Barego was turning to leave, Zavala’s voice stopped her. “Barego.” Her body tensed. She turned back and asked, “Commander?” “Keep today’s mission in mind for the future,” he advised. “If a mission does not turn out to be as you expect, don’t second-guess yourself or your judgment looking for errors that don’t exist. True failure comes when there is no hope of recovery, and if you lose faith in your abilities, you lose hope to succeed. Do I make myself clear?” She wasn’t sure, but Barego thought he was trying to tell her that he didn’t hold her accountable for missing Riksis. She couldn’t help but smile. “Yes, sir.”