ERA DRAKKA [i]Echo[/i] Echo shut down the warp engines, and the purple chaos, which determined the Reef, could be seen from the cockpit. Ava-3 stood behind him, marveling at the beautiful colors which were displayed in front of them. "Won't we get trouble with the Awoken for trespassing?" Echo shook his head. "Probably not. At least, I hope so. I made sure that more than half of today's patrolling pilots are part of the Syndicate. And by the way, we won't go into the Reef, so technically..." Echo slowed down even more, and changed course towards a little object, its white color standing out from the purple Reef clouds. He continued: "When you see some Ceres Galliots fighting eachother, don't be surprised" A slight smile formed on Ava-3's face, and she asked: "So that's where Val lives now? Away from everything?" "I believe so. The Andropov space station. It dates from the Golden Age, and I heard that even the Awoken leave him be. He hasn't been seen in over a month, let's hope he's still there" What first only appeared a small dot from afar, was actually a space station, and what at first seemed a white hull, was actually a very slight pink, coloring the various modules of the ancient spacecraft. Warm light exited through the windows, somehow giving the structure a... cosy look. The symbol of the Russian Federal Bureau Of Aeronautics was painted on the side, and although it had clearly suffered from time, the emblem was still visible for any incoming ship, wishing to dock. Which was exactly what Echo and Ava-3 wanted to do. Their ship, a modified jumpship of the Slipper Misfit-type, gently connected with the Andropov station. The century-old locking system started, and a long series of metallic sounds echoed through the coupled ships, ending with the flashing of a green light. The airlock slowly opened, steam coming from the sides. Echo pushed himself through it, only to be greeted by a large Titan, standing still, in full battle armor. Validus aimed down the sights of his Boolean Gemini, a custom scout rifle, and said: "Go back, Echo. There's nothing here for you" Echo raised his hands, to show he was unarmed, and started moving forward, only to be greeted by a warning shot, which hit a small oxygen tank in the back. The sound of the escaping compressed air only made the ongoing silence more striking. Finally, Echo started moving again. "I know you're in some kind of... depression, Val" The tall Titan firmly shook his head and gestured Echo to turn back. The Warlock ignored him. "You and I know I'm right. Drop the weapon and take off that helmet, so we can talk like friends" Validus hesitated, but then did as Echo asked. He holstered his weapon and pulled off his helmet, decorated with the Ashen emblem, revealing the face behind it. He then deactivated his magnetic boots and floated away, soon followed by Echo and Ava-3. After a while, Validus stopped and turned around, facing Echo. "Now, why are you here, Echo?" Echo took a deep breath, and then the words tumbled out of his mouth. "I... need you, Val. I need you, the Ashen Conflux needs you, the people of City need you. It is your duty as a Guardian to help us, to help them. You live, you fight, you die and you fight again. That is what it means to be a Guardian! And-" Validus raised a hand, interrupting Echo. "I am no Guardian. I have no Ghost, and neither have you. Lux and Caesar are gone. Go home, Echo. The Vanguard will handle it further" Echo remained silent, and then finally said two simple words: "They won't" "What do you mean, 'they won't'? I'm sure they'll send Guardians to deal with the Virgo Prohibition" Echo shook his head. "As I said, they won't. They have no idea what happened there, so they can't really do anything" Echo noticed that Validus opened his mouth, but continued anyway, blocking off anything the Titan wanted to say. "Furthermore, Ava lied to them about what happened, so they won't cooperate with us" Validus stayed surprisingly calm. "Why did you not inform the Vanguard? Find yourself some brave Guardians who are able to perform your 'fight-die-fight'-trick" "Do you really want others experience the same things we did? And you ARE a Guardian, Validus. Just a Guardian who is on his last life, but still a Guardian!" The tall Titan sighed. "I'm not coming with you, Echo. Fight your own wars. Why do you need me anyways? You've got the whole Syndicate to back you up" "This [i]is[/i] war! And with you on my side, the alliance between the Ashen Conflux and the Syndicate can be preserved. You are more important than you realize, Val" Echo saw that Validus still wasn't convinced, and took something out of his pocket, his final effort. He opened his hand, and revealed Validus' Ghost, Lux. The Titan was clearly surprised, but then his face darkened again, as he realized something. Echo noticed this, and quickly said: "Oh, you think I'm going to blackmail you? You're right, as a Syndicate member I should" Echo smiled, and threw the Ghost into Validus' waiting hands, who, surprisingly enough, catched it with ease. Echo continued: "But I won't. I only ask you: will you stay here, hiding from the world and you responsibilities, or will you show that you are still a Guardian, and be truly valorous, worthy of your name, Validus? What are you made of?" Validus did not expect that Echo knew what his name meant. He remained silent for several minutes and then made the decision that would define the rest of his life. Three short words, yet so meaningful. "Count me in" Ava-3 cheered and dove towards Validus, locking him in a tight hug, surprising both men. After a few seconds, she released Validus, and floated back towards Echo. As she passed the Exo Warlock, she whispered: "I knew you could do it. About that hug, don't worry. I've got more in store for you" Echo simply smiled. About an hour later, their ship finally disconnected from the Andropov station, which was dark and empty of all life now. Echo immediately started the sub-light speed engines, modified by him for increased speed, and soon enough, Validus' old home was shrinking rapidly in size. It was silent in the ship, until Ava-3 asked: "Are you planning to return here, Val?" At first, the Titan didn't answer, but then he pressed a button of a small device, which he had held in his hand the whole time since they had left the space station. The Andropov station suddenly erupted in an enormous, fiery explosion, the different modules disconnecting, and exploding on their own, leaving only a few remainings of the hull, which seemed to be floating aimlessly through space. Those would eventually become part of the mess in the Reef, through the forces of gravity. When the radio, tuned into the Awoken military frequency, started being filled with reports and panicked orders, Validus turned it off, and said: "I will not" Before jumping to hyperspace, Echo looked behind him, and saw what had happened. "Isn't this a little bit of [i]overkill[/i], Val? The whole Reef is mobilizing" Echo's question was ignored by the Titan. "What are we doing next?" The spacecraft accelerated to warp speed, and set course for Earth, leaving behind the alarmed Reef. "We assemble the Syndicate" TO BE CONTINUED [spoiler]More stories will be added onto the main page, which I will link here. https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/226647634?sort=0[/spoiler]