Fireteam Shiloh Ch10: Favors for The Nine

Solomon and Lassiter looked at each other in confusion. “The Nine?” Said Lassiter. “Like that creep Xur?” There was a noise through the coms that sounded again like hissing. “Xur is a mere trash collector!” the woman writhed. “I am… different.” “I don’t care what you are!” Solomon cut in. “What have you done with Dakota?!” The woman cackled at Solomon’s words. “I have done nothing with your friend. I merely picked up the transponder from the helmet she left behind.” Lassiter thought hard about the situation. “So… If you don’t have Dakota, then who does?” The Warlock could practically see the smile on the woman’s face. “I’m so glad you asked,” she replied. “It is why I have come. My name is Yulara, Agent of the Nine. My superiors require your… services.” “What could the Nine possibly want from us?” Lassiter pried. Yulara was quick to answer. “This place is home to a small clan of advanced assassins, which we call Stalkers. We have been monitoring them since they drove the Fallen from the valley. What we did not anticipate, was that they were watching us as well. They somehow discovered the location of a... secret place, and stole several valuable relics in the dead of night.” “Let me guess,” Solomon interrupted. “You want us to get your relics back for you.” Yulara grunted with a hint of distaste. “Just one. The Stalkers possess a powerful talisman that is of particular value to the Nine. It has the ability to make the seen… unseen.” “What, like, invisibility?” said Lassiter. “That’s not possible… is it?” Yulara chuckled. “You’d be surprised what kind of power you can find in the deep recesses of the universe. The talisman is Hive in origin, enchanted by their wizards, imbued with the essence of Darkness.” “Great,” Lassiter complained. “I barely survived the Moon’s core. I’ll admit, I’m not thrilled to be dealing with all this Hive stuff.” “The Stalkers are no Hive,” Yulara hissed, “but do not underestimate them.” “Why should we do this for you?” said Solomon, growing impatient. “The way I see it, you have plenty of incentive. These heartless killers have taken your friend. It was not part of my plan, but I think it worked out for the better.” Solomon frowned and grew angry as a realization dawned on him. “You are the one that lead us here. You are responsible for all of this.” She laughed again. “Very perceptive. Yes, it was me.” Solomon clenched his fists. “Good. Should anything happen to Dakota, I will see to your death personally.” “I expect nothing less from you, Titan,” she said slyly. “Descend into the darkness. Show no mercy. There’s no telling what they will do to your precious Dakota. And, should you complete the task, I am still prepared to reward you with valuable information, straight from my superiors. Now you must hurry, or Dakota may not be the only one who dies this night.” There was a short burst of static, and then nothing. “She’s gone,” said Solomon. Lassiter shivered with disgust. “I don’t like her one bit.” The Warlock peered once more into the pitch black tunnels below. “She was cryptic at best. Are we really going to do the Nine’s bidding?” Solomon sighed and shook his head. “We have no choice. We have to save Dakota.” Lassiter nodded slowly. “That’s what I thought you would say. Well, we better get a move on. Hopefully whatever information the Nine has for us will be useful.” “Aye,” Solomon agreed, taking his first steps into the catacombs. “Stay close Lassy, and watch my six. Be ready for anything.” Lassiter followed Solomon down the steps into the dark. The air became almost immediately thick and oppressive. A foul smell hung in the air, making the guardians gag as it seeped through their air filters. The moonlight behind them quickly faded, and they were completely engulfed in darkness. They each activated their night vision, but found to their surprise that it didn’t help much. The dimensions of the tunnels could be deciphered, but what seemed like a heavy fog kept the guardians from seeing anything more than ten feet in front of them. “This is bad,” Lassiter observed. “We are too vulnerable like this.” Solomon agreed. “Ghost, keep an eye on infrared scanners. If there’s someone nearby, I want to know about it.” The ghost obeyed and turned its attention to possible heat signatures, just as the guardians encountered a split in the tunnels. “Ok…” said Lassiter, easily frustrated. “Which way do we go?” Solomon looked best he could down both passages but saw nothing. “There’s no way of knowing where each one leads. Since the center of town is east of this general location, I suppose going right would be our best bet. Have your ghost map out the catacombs as we go. If we do hit a dead end, we will at least be able to find our way back.” “On it.” The two turned right and began trudging once more through the heavy dark. The tunnel soon became more conformed and narrow. Solomon suspected the path had become singular without any other branches, and its destination would be final. In a few moments, the Titan’s suspicions were confirmed. The darkness revealed to the guardians a single, small doorway into a larger room. As they entered, the stench became nearly unbearable. Lassiter coughed as he adjusted to the deplorable conditions. The pair walked farther into the room, trying desperately to make out its contents. It took a moment, but something large appeared to fill up the back of the room. Curious, Solomon moved in closer for a better look. The Titan instantly regretted his decision. Upon further inspection, the mass in the back of the room was clearly a massive pile of bodies. “Holy Traveler… Uh, Lassy?” Solomon’s ghost suddenly came to life. “Multiple heat signatures closing in behind us!” The guardians whirled around to face the doorway they had just come through. “We’re trapped!” exclaimed the Titan. “Bloody hell Solomon!” Lassiter roiled, ripping back the action on his rifle. “I think we went the wrong way!” [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Groups/Post?groupId=1371758&postId=230216960&sort=0&page=0]Chapter 11[/url] [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/224417569?page=0&sort=0&showBanned=0&path=1]The Hub[/url]