[spoiler]Act III Finale Archive: https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/242853482/0/0[/spoiler] "Shift change," Lee announces. He watches from the top of a nearby ridge as Cabal soldiers jump off of the turrets mounted around the main entrance before their psion spotters follow suit. The guard shift changes occur like clockwork, but the next shift up always seems to lag and trickle in at an uneven pace. This is what Lee had counted on though: mixing confusion on top of a delayed response would hopefully buy the infiltration team enough time to find the Exo prisoner and make their escape. Bee slows her pike near a small cluster of rocks to the opposite flank of the entrance. The Onyx Guard hops off the side of the vehicle as Bee yaws slightly to keep him beyond the reach of the engine exhaust. His position is near enough for one of the pikes to divert during their escape, but still maintaining enough distance to prevent the Cabal from pinpointing his location. Bee then heads off to join Patterson, who waits in a large artillery crater with his pike on low impulse to conceal it's location. "In position," she broadcasts to Lee and the Onyx Guard as she gives a nervous thumbs up to Patterson. Lee responds to give them a heads up to their approach. "Next turret crew is starting to come out. Brown nosing psion from last shift is still on lookout, but the turrets aren't up yet. I'll put it down once Big O calls in his sat; should buy a few more seconds. We all ready?" "Ready." "Ready." Patterson briefly exhales to steady himself, "Ready." "Dropping the Hammer." The air around them fell into an almost perfect silence, as though the world itself was preparing for the impending storm of death and destruction. A blast of deafening fury erupted on a level to rival the warhorns of Heaven as the beam fell on the imperial land tank. It rips through the machine before being redirected to cleave through its forward bridge. "Go!" Bee shouts as she throttles her pike and takes lead; the additional armor bulked up at the front as Patterson stays directly behind her, the armor of his pike bolstered in the rear to cover the Exo during the escape. Lee fires at the psion lookout, aiming to wound. He wants to remove the threat while adding to the confusion: the Cabal step over the dead, but still try to aid their injured. The round meets its mark to the upper thigh, dropping the psion and forcing it to crawl to cover. Cabal pour from the burning land tank, desperately fleeing toward the safety of their fortress. The Onyx Guard lines up another shot, dropped the initial strike just before the fortress and dragging the beam back toward the land tank. Cabal scatter in all directions as the beam cuts through the fleeing crowd. Residual heat of the beam adding to its area of effect by causing the Cabal's breathing systems to rupture as their comrades burn. Bee takes full advantage of her front heavy pike, plowing her way through crowds of terrified enemies and casually grazing the walls as she makes her way down the narrow walkways of the fortress. Her only objective: wreak havoc and drive reinforcements away from the detention ward. Patterson cautiously makes his way in on foot. He doesn't intend to draw attention to himself, and can't afford to have anything follow him to interrupt his escape. He reaches a terminal after looking through small slits on the doors of holding chambers and releases the cell holding the captive Exo. She is injured, severely: one eye shattered by an impact that caved in left side of her face, the remnants of a left shoulder and upper arm showing the crude signs of the arm being physically pulled off, and dangling feet loosely hanging from both shins that had been collapsed inward by the impact of a blunt object. "Guardian? What are you doing?" she sputtered as her voice struggled to form the words. Patterson walks over and reaches down to gently lift her shattered frame. "Getting you away from this hell hole," he replied after scooping her up in his arms, allowing her remaining right arm to drape over his left shoulder to stabilize herself. "The guards. There are too many guards. Land tank coming. Leave me.." she pleaded. She struggled to turn her head toward Patterson, revealing the cracked lens of her remaining eye. "We're dealing with the backup," he reassured her. "Bee, time to go," he called over the radio. "Copy that," Bee chirped back. "Lee, can you still cover the turn and burn or do I need to make hole?" "Calm down," Lee barked back. "Not every wall needs a hole in it." He peers toward the interior of the base through his scope and takes aim at a fuel cell previously highlighted by Jackson. "Say when." Patterson positions the Exo on the back of his pike and makes the call: "do it." Lee fires at the fuel cell creating a blinding light. The Onyx Guard sees this and fires a brief Hammer strike to clear the immediate area around the main gate. Bee shoots from the interior of a building and Patterson quickly follows her through the gate. They break formation as Bee turns to retrieve the Gear and Patterson breaks toward the dropship awaiting in the distance. A few moments later, all five are aboard the ship and are breaking the Martian atmosphere. "Help me with this," Patterson directs. The Onyx Guard makes his way over to assist securing the Exo into one of the jumper seats. He looks over the damage. It will take time, but there is no doubt she can be repaired, and he will gladly supply the Tower with the tools needed to do so. "We made it!" Bee shouts. The Exo can't help but smile at her excitement. Lee looks back from the cockpit and asks sarcastically, "we picking up anymore hitchhikers along the way? One more and I won't have to arm wrestle for the last can of a 6-pack." "Thank you," the Exo let's out quietly, the smile still visible on the right side her face. She sits back, finally able to relax as her nightmare ends.