[b][u]Episode 4: Orthus Vae II[/u][/b] Toland and Dredgen peered out of the shattered window, watching events unfold below. "That is a very big drop." Toland observed. "He's lucky to have survived from this high." Dredgen nodded. "How is he even taking that assault?" he watched as Kabr shrugged off every round that scorched his armor. He was about to jokingly suggest to Toland that they should make snacks when he noticed from the corner of his eye that Aru'un trying to crawl away, unnoticed. "Not so fast there buddy!"‎ he shot Aru'un in the leg, and rolled the squealing Cabal‎ over so that he was propped up against a control terminal. "Don't worry," he reassured the screaming Prince. "The Thorn's poison won't kill you outright," he smiled a devilish grin. "It will just slow you down while causing you excruciatingly unbearable pain!" He turned his head away as Aru'un snarled an insult at him. Even his helmets filters were having trouble masking the stench of Aru'un's breath. "Do I want to know what he just said?" he hollered to Toland, who shook his head, then left his vantage point at the window. "No, and we have bigger problems." Dredgen looked at him, puzzled. "Kabr just took our one ride, and if we don't find another way out, we're going to have the entire Broken Legion crashing down on our head!" Toland paced in a circle, trying to think. Aru'un wasn't helping. "Times running out on you Guardians, as soon as they arrive to deal with you, we'll track down your Vex friend, and send all three of you back to your planet in pieces!" Toland paused. "Our Vex friend?" he whirled around, facing Aru'un. "He isn't one of them." "Really? Because..." Aru'un stopped abruptly and turned his head. "Never mind, it won't matter soon." Toland motioned to Dredgen, who grabbed the sharp thorn in Aru'un's leg and twisted. He screamed. "Alright, alright! The Vex attacks recently have been orchestrated with similar results to your friend, although not as ferocious. As I told you, they were after our research. That research contains our findings on a certain site of importance." "The Black Garden?" Aru'un shook his head. "Then what else is so important to the Vex?" "A newer site, Vex inscriptions name it as The Timekeeper. I cannot tell you much else about it, because we haven't been able to get within a mile of it without the Vex chasing us away." he shrugged. "So that's why we are operating here." Toland gave Dredgen a summary of what was said. "Hmm..." Dredgen thought deeply. "Where would Kabr be going now?" Toland relayed the question. "We managed to position an Imperial Land Tank, Orthus Vae II, as close as possible to the site." Aru'un suddenly looked uncomfortable. "They have been able to repel every attack so far, but I don't think they can handle your friend here." Toland could tell they wouldn't be able to get more information out of Aru'un, who by revealing it, had betrayed his people. "What do you think we should do?" he asked Dredgen. "We have to go after Kabr, but I don't know how we're going to find a ship, learn to fly it, and lift off without being disintegrated!" Toland looked at Aru'un, an idea forming. "Get up, we're taking you with us." Toland and Dredgen dragged Aru'un to his feet. "Let's hope you are able to fly a Harvester!" _______________________________________ Trau'ug burst into the control room, his soldiers following suit. After they had fought off Kabr they had sweeped the facility clean to make sure he was gone, and alone. He looked around, wondering where the Prince had gone. A whine of a Harvester caught his attention, as he watched out of the broken window as one lifted off and flew away, with artillery fire following it. "HOLD YOUR FIRE!" he roared into the intercom. "Or the Emperor will personally execute you for the death of his son!" he watched helplessly as the Harvester sped towards the surface of Mars. "What are our orders?" one of his lieutenants asked, nervous. "We will follow them, but no attacking until we have ensured the Princes safety." Trau'ug watched the Harvester get more distant, and his temper began to burn. "I want those responsible obliterated!" _______________________________________ Meanwhile... Kabr was in the middle of bypassing the Orthus Vae II's security measures with force when Atheon appeared to him. "Have you found what you are looking for?" he asked grudgingly. He had dealt with an entire Ice Reaper batallion while Atheon had taken his time with his task. "Yes," Atheon replied. "A prototype version of a Goliath Tank, fitted with a mining drillbit and an overhauled cannon. Exactly what I need to get where we need to be." "Can I ask you a question?" Kabr finished smashing through the security door and entered the loading bay. "How do you still exist? You were confirmed to be destroyed in the Vault of Glass." "I was. But a part of me survived. The part that I placed inside of your head. This is all that is left, I am reduced to what humans call an AI." Kabr clambered into the Goliath Tank and started it up. "Kabr, we need to do this. Otherwise the Chronovores will devour countless timelines, trying to cultivate a perfect one. I cannot allow this to happen." "I get that you need to do this, I got it the first three times." Kabr sighed. "Doesn't mean I have to like it." He steered the tank outside and once on the desert sand, he set the tank to drill through the ground, heading straight towards The Timekeeper. _______________________________________ To be continued. Next Chapter: http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/149746829/0/0 Table of Contents: https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/114713352/0/0 (First chapter to come on out on time in a long time. Honestly this one was two times as long as I expected.)