Help them break in. Help [i]them [/i]not break out. Loading screen text: Ikora Rey: [quote]There's movement on Venus. The House of Exile has located one of their own in captivity, on a ketch belonging to The House of Winter, and they're looking to break him out. The Vanguard would like you to prevent that, Guardian. Penkros the Vandal, on trial for assassinating a high-ranking Winter Captain, is good with his cloaking, and even better with his blades. If you're quick, you'll have the drop on him. But be warned, more Fallen are with him, and many more are on the way. Best case scenario,we incite a turf war. Worst case scenario, a deadly assassin is let loose.[/quote] Player spawns at Ember Caves near route to The Citadel. Ghost: [quote]Can we at least [i]try[/i] to do this quietly?[/quote] (Timed: Upon first firing of gun) [quote] *sigh* ...guess not.[/quote] Player makes way to entrance of Winter's Lair and encounters Fallen of differing Houses engaged in combat. Ghost: [quote]The House of Exile- they're already here![/quote] Ikora (radios in): [quote]The Fallen are prideful, they'd rather see another house fall than see you fail. It's your choice to engage, Guardian.[/quote] (Fallen will not attack player unless aggro'd. If all House of Winter are eliminated in an area, Exile will not attack, but will instead head to the next area, The Cinders.) Once to The Cinders, the player encounters two cloaked Vandal snipers guarding the open door to the Ash Coves. (They are aggro'd.) Repeater Shanks spawn out every 30 seconds from the dark cave at left (vex snipers spawn here in the Winter's Run strike). In the ground at bottom, Skiffs drop off more Exile to engage with the Winter already waiting for them. The door to Ash Coves closes. Ghost:[quote] Well, now that's a problem. We'll need to get through... how good are you at making friends?[/quote] [spoiler]Player now has a hidden choice. 1. Defeat all Winter, or 2., defeat all Fallen, regardless of house. IF 1: (At least one Exile must still be alive after skirmish.) Ghost: [quote]Wait, hold on! They're lowering their weapons![/quote] Fallen Exile: [quote][Rumbles, Clicks][/quote] Fallen Exile walks over to door, opens it, motions "come on." Ghost: [quote]Uhh.. T-thank you?[/quote] IF 2: (All Exile defeated, regardless if Winter are still alive)[/spoiler] Ghost: [quote]Alright, we'll do this the old-fashioned way.[/quote] Player must initiate Ghost hacking sequence. Upon activation, Exile Skiff drops a Walker that clears field of debris and any objects/scenery not permanent. Exile Walker is aggro'd upon drop. Door opens when Walker is defeated. Moving now into the Ash Caves, a low flying Ketch is seen parked in an open area, with a ramp-like rock angled into an open hatch in the Ketch. Player must use sparrow to make the jump into the Ketch. [spoiler]If player attempts trick or honks horn mid air: Ikora: [quote]Nice one. Not exactly the most graceful, but you get points for style.[/quote][/spoiler] Player then explores Ketch. Circular-path hallways are lined with cells. Fallen Exile are behind impenetrable (Read: un-shoot-through-able) bars. If too close, Fallen can do melee damage, but are also prone to damage during. [spoiler](This is notable for later!)[/spoiler] Every quarter circle there is a closed door. Upon completing one lap around the circle, one door will open, revealing a staircase leading downwards, the Ketch lurches forward. Player's camera dips heavily (similar to landing from a high jump). Ghost: [quote]We're... moving?[/quote] Player resumes moving forward. Down stairs, through an empty hallway, until finally the engine room is reach. Numerous Winter lay dead on the floor. Ikora: [quote]He's here... watch carefully.[/quote] In the open engine room, Penkros will spawn at one of a few different possible spawn points, and will dimly shimmer. He will not attack initially, instead waiting for the player to "move away." (The door to the engine room is now closed so it's not like there is actually anywhere to go.) This is the player's opportunity to locate him. [spoiler]Again, the player will have a hidden choice: approach Penkros without firing, or being the fight. The former is only available if the door to the Ash Caves was [u]not[/u] hacked open by you Ghost. IF Player approaches Penkros without firing: Penkros will decloak, click and bow his head, as if saying "thank you." Penkros will open the closed engine room door and lead the player downstairs. He is currently invulnerable to damage and will now not aggro. Additionally, the Guardian will not fire at Penkros, even if the Player presses the "fire" trigger. Near the hatch the Player entered the Ketch in, Penkros activates a switch that opens all of the cells. Ghost: [quote]I-I-I'm not sure about this...[/quote] One Dreg from a cell opens fire on the Guardian, but is immediately slashed down by Penkros who growls and points his sword menacingly at the now-dead Dreg's body. The hatch the Player entered in now opens. Ghost: [quote]So. That happened. Now what?[/quote] Exile charge out of the hatch to a new, open and barren area called "Exile's Alamo" and take up hiding spots behind spare rocks. Five Winter Skiffs appear sequentially, dropping 3 Walkers and other Fallen over the course of 60 seconds. Ikora (deadpan): [quote]What have you gotten yourself into? [/quote] Player then must help Exile defeat Walkers. Upon defeating the Winter, all Exile except Penkros teleport away. Penkros waits for Guardian to make eye contact, then gives victorious growl in direction of Guardian before too teleporting away. If mission is completed within certain time limit, Penkros will drop Exotic Item: Friendly Rival or Merciful Foe? (Sword) Grants temporary invisibility upon equip at cost of pausing shield recovery (has cooldown = 5x time cloaked, between cloakings). The Mission Complete HUD will display. Ikora: [quote]A temporary truce with the House of Exile? I don't know what you're planning, Guardian- the House of Exile is the most volatile of the known Houses- but I trust you enough to let you continue. Keep an eye on Penkos, I'd hate to pull his sword out of your back one day.[/quote] IF fired upon:[/spoiler] Penkros will now aggro. He will briefly become visible, with boss health bar appearing overhead, before howling and cloaking again. All his attacks are melee, except for a wave-generating attack, similar to the Bladedancer's that occurs once every 30 seconds if the player maintains the appropriate distance. At half health, Penkros will go into Panic mode and open the door, fleeing. Ghost: [quote]He's retreating![/quote] Ikora: [quote]Guardian! After him![/quote] Going back the way you came, Penkros is again cloaked, occasionally stopping to hide behind a doorway and attempt to catch you off guard. As Penkros passes by the cells containing Exile, he will stop occasionally to open one, letting loose the Exile inside who will also aggro on you. If the player killed the Exile earlier, Penkros will not stop to open the cell. From here it's basically a chase sequence around the circular path until Penkros is whittled down to 1/6th health, at which point the ketch will crash and the hatch you entered opens up. Player's shields will pop, but will actually be invulnerable until shields fully recharge. Penkros (damaged by the crash) will limp, decloaked, outside the hatch into a large, barren open area named "Exile's Alamo." The player can then either do a few body shots or a single headshot to end the battle. Alternatively, after 25 seconds of limping through Exile's Alamo, Penkros will collapse and die. And the Mission Complete HUD will display. Ikora: [quote]The assassin Penkros... He died free. But what remains, I am unsure. Will the Exile now retreat, with no reason left for a turf war with the House of Winter? Or rather, will the Exile now have all the reason they need to fight? I hope for the latter, but for now, our involvement is over.[/quote] Well, that was longer than I expected. Thoughts? Comments/suggestions? If people like this somewhat I've got a few other ideas I'd like to pen in the near future. Keep it clean, -a Kitty XD EDIT: Ikora's dialogue to more accurately reflect the cause of the strike. Thanks to Cavin311 for the edit suggestion! EDIT 2: Alright, I'll write up another idea. Look for The Inorganic Parasite tonight! EDIT 3: Finished! [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/199293550]The Inorganic Parasite[/url] EDIT 4: My last strike idea: [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/199339063]Spare Batteries[/url]