(Links to previous chapters in comments). Cayde-6 watched stunned as the metal barrier fell from the ceiling and into the floor. “Well, I was not expecting that”. Turning back to the other Vanguards, he crossed his arms and slightly cocked his head. “Would one of you care to explain what is going on?” Commander Zavala looked to Ikora Rey who nodded slightly.. “We are secure,” she said softly. “I dare say we are,” the Hunter Vanguard exclaimed. “You just threw a load of Guardians into the corridor and shut them out – which by the way,” he added turning back to gesture at the solid metal wall, “was quite impressive”. Zavala rubbed his temples wearily before turning away and climbing the steps behind him. Cayde-6 glanced between the two other Vanguard. “Anyone?” “Do you remember The Battle of The Twilight Gap, Cayde?” the Awoken asked as he strode to the windows at the back of the room. “Of course”. The Titan Vanguard clasped his hands behind his back, still staring out into the world beyond The Tower. “They covered the ground. A sea of murder. I remember thinking that we were without hope”. He turned away and stared back at the Exo. “Lord Saladin did not. Even as the Fallen gathered and we built our defences, he looked beyond what was immediately happening and in doing so he saved us”. “The Fallen are butchers, scavengers”, Ikora said. “They are a number of things, but they are not stupid. Lord Saladin did not believe that they would commit so many to attack The Tower without having a plan in place should they fail. He urged every Guardian to send word of anything they heard about Fallen activities. “Slowly we started to hear scattered rumours of another House gathering its forces, one we had not known of before. At first we assumed it to be a minor House preparing to join the attack on The Tower. It was the Warlocks that uncovered the truth. One, Misa Kasou, pursued the rumours across the galaxy. Just before she disappeared she sent word that there was some connection between this House and The Darkness. Because of this, Osiris gave the Warlocks orders to search out whatever they could find”. “At least in that he served us well”, Zavala growled. He gestured to the Warlock Vanguard. “As Osiris fell deeper into his obsession, Ikora spearheaded the effort to learn more”. Ikora nodded as the Titan spoke. “I worked closely with Lord Saladin as Osiris became… diverted… from things,” she said carefully. “As we heard of this House more frequently, Saladin became convinced that there was more to it than simply another House coming to join the fight. Finally, on the eve of The Battle for The Twilight Gap, we intercepted a transmission revealing the House had mobilised and was preparing to join The Fallen here”. “Even though we needed every Guardian,” Zavala interrupted, “Lord Saladin judged that this threat could not be ignored. We had coordinates for their staging point, we knew their Kell to be there. We had an opportunity to strike”. “It should have been me!” Ikora hissed. “You know you were needed here”, Zavala replied matter-of-factly. “Eisca was sent instead” Cayde surmised. Both other Vanguard nodded. “What happened?” Ikora took a deep breath. “She found The House of Mercy”. The Hunter grunted as his stomach violently cramped. [i]You are getting worse[/i], his Ghost said. Her voice seemed to be muffled as if from far away and the Hunter had to concentrate to fully hear her. His throat was dry whilst at the same time he could feel sweat beading inside his helmet and he ached all over. Easing himself over the edge of the ceiling void, he dropped to the floor below and collapsed as his legs buckled. He lay panting on the cold metal floor as the room span. His Ghost appeared in the air above him, its central lens narrowing as it focused on him. The Hunter gasped as vitality swept through him on an icy wave. His vision snapped back into focus and he was able to push himself to his feet. [i]Thank you. It’s temporary. I cannot reverse what is happening. We need to move on. I can’t get hold of Cayde and… You don’t understand[/i], his Ghost stressed, her voice full of despair. [i]I cannot heal you. I cannot bring you back. [/i] The Hunter’s eyes met the Ghost’s lens. [i]I know Ghost. I can feel it. [/i] “The House of Mercy specialises in annihilation”, Ikora said flatly. “What Fallen House does not!” Cayde-6 muttered. “You don’t understand”, the Warlock Vanguard said shaking her head. “The House of Mercy is called when all else fails. When there is no hope of salvage, no hope of victory. When all is lost”. “The reason little is known about them is because they leave none to speak of what they do. They are small because they have no need for armies. They do not engage with the enemy, they eradicate them”. “How?” the Hunter Vanguard whispered. “Biological warfare”, Commander Zavala stated. “They create weapons that end races, that devour planets and leave them lifeless, empty husks. Nothing survives”. Ikora leant upon the Vanguard table. “Eisca discovered that they had used The Darkness to create a weapon against The Light. The other Houses were too proud to let them use it before they had made an attempt for their own glory, but The House of Mercy were coming here ready should the Fallen attack fail. Were it to be used, it would target every Guardian. None would survive and neither would The Traveller. It would be the end. The Darkness would stand unopposed”. “Obviously it wasn’t used. What happened?” Ikora shook her head. “In the last communication we received, Eisca said that although she could not find a way to destroy the weapon, she had found a way to alter it so that it also affected Fallen. If she failed to stop The House of Mercy, she hoped that either the other Fallen Houses would stop the weapon from being used as it would destroy them; or if it were used it would wipe them out once and for all”. The Warlock lifted her arms into the air. “Then we lost her”. “Seems to be a recurring theme with you Warlocks”. Ikora raised her eyebrows at the Exo’s sarcasm. “We know their fleet including a House of Mercy ketch with the Kell on board arrived in the Solar System”, Commander Zavala said before the Warlock Vanguard could say anything. “Then the attack began and we had neither the time nor the ability to worry about anything other than preventing The Fallen from taking The Tower. After the battle was won we found the House of Mercy fleet scattered and the ketch nowhere to be found”. “Well”, Cayde-6 said. “I think my Hunter has found it for you”.