The large Vex lowered its Torch Hammer, and with a quick burst of Light from my feet I propelled myself from my lounging position and into the air just in time to avoid a blast. Sticking my back flip right where I had been sitting only a moment before, I leapt forward to dodge another shot and spun around to face the Minotaur as it turned to follow me. “Seriously? We both know how this will turn out,” I reasoned as I readied a fusion rifle, “The probability of you winning is impossibly small.” That didn’t stop the Minotaur from teleporting into my face and swinging its arm at me. I wasn’t able to dodge, but blocked with my arms and skidded back only a little bit. “All I want is to understand,” I grunted as I ran at the Minotaur, shouldering it off balance, “To learn like you do. Do you even have a method of communicating with humans?” With another metallic cry, the Minotaur started firing at me again. I rolled out of the way and began zigzagging away, still calling back to it, “Why am I even talking to you?” Before I could find a way to escape the Minotaur’s range, I heard the pop of a Light-fueled grenade going off and looked over my shoulder to see Keis standing over the disintegrating remains of the Vex. Without a word he turned and walked away to find another target. “He scares me sometimes,” Rush commented. “Glad he’s on our side,” I agreed. “Guys, they’re all over this building here!” Null announced, reviving the comm channel, “I think they’ve set up shop.” “Let’s stop them then!” Nat spoke up. “Will, can we go?” Drew checked with me, “There’s probably a bunch more to fight and some nerd stuff for you!” “Why are you asking me? As long as we stick together we’re fine,” I answered. “Oh,” Drew mumbled thoughtfully, “So it’s okay then?” “Yes Drew,” I sighed. “HECK YES LET’S GO!” Drew bellowed. “Drew slow down!” Sierra shouted. “Right behind you guys!” Nat cheered. I checked my HUD and spotted the markers above everyone else’s heads, all converging at an exceptionally large building. Doing a quick look around and seeing that there were only a scattered few Vex left in the open square now, I jogged our across the sandy stretch and entered the building just behind Sierra, who had been waiting to make sure I made it. “Getting slow, peewee,” she teased as we moved down a staircase after the others. “Stopped to take a nap,” I grinned. “Stop smiling and get serious, we’re fighting,” the Huntress teased. “Then why don’t you stop flirting you hag!” Yvan snapped, reminding us that the comms were on. “Flirting?!” Sierra roared, “Get your scrawny little self over here and I’ll show you flirting! I’m gonna stick my boot straight up your-!” “Big Vex BIG VEX!” Welkine cried out, and suddenly we were all bumping into each other as the people up front tried backpedaling. “Why does that keep happening?!” Null exclaimed. “Because there’s Vex everywhere here you imbecile!” Yvan growled. “No not that,” Null explained, “How come something interrupts every time someone’s about to curse? Like if I tried to say-“ “No one gives a Thrall’s bone about your stupid conspiracies!” Yvan knocked him on the head. “SEE?!” Null didn’t even acknowledge Yvan’s rudeness, “Every time-!” “Go tell the Vex what you think!” Sierra shoved Null backwards, making him stumble out in front of the doorway that the others had scrambled back from only moments before. “That was mean,” I nudged Sierra as Null regained his balance and looked into the room neighboring the corridor we were in. “Wow…that is big,” the Warlock said in awe, only to be blasted back into the wall a moment later by a large blast. “Guardian down!” his Ghost warned. “I’ve got him!” I declared, leaping out into the center of the doorway. Before anything else could happen I flung out my arms and pumped Light out through my hands, creating a Ward of Dawn that completely filled the doorway and most of the width of the hallway so no more shots could get through. Then I looked through the deep blue haze of my barrier and saw what had surprised the others. A giant Vex Hydra hovered in the center of the room, which was more than large enough to hold it along with a small army of lesser Vex. It had to be approaching thirty feet tall, hovering above the ground with its massive cannons aimed at us but not firing. A few dozen red eyes drilled into me and beams of red and violet began peppering the Ward, only to sizzle out against it. Looking back over my shoulder, I saw Null rising back to his feet while the others filed into the Ward behind me. “That looks important,” Quintel remarked. “Party time,” Fehri raised his hand cannon. “I think I’m starting to not hate you,” Sierra drew her weapon as well. “Careful there hot stuff or I may be tempted to take you out for a drink later,” Fehri replied, although I couldn’t tell if he was serious or not. “Hate returning,” Sierra grunted. “We have a plan, right?” Quintel asked uneasily as some Goblins closed in on the Ward. “Crag?” Veronica checked with him for a plan. “William?” Crag looked to me. “Hey what if I have a plan?” Nat seemed offended. “Do you?” Ilya questioned. “No, but what if I did?” Nat pouted. “Then we would hear you out,” I answered, “Now, there’s plenty of cover behind those…whatever those big machines are, so our Titans need to move out around the room and take care of the little guys while the snipers stay here to pick off problems. Veronica, keep the big guy’s attention. Crag, can you get around to the opposite end of the room if we keep them all busy?” Crag responded with only a nod. “Good. My Ward won’t last too long, so everyone staying here be ready to take cover somewhere. And Keis?” The silent Exo looked down at me expectantly. “Us two are going to make sure everyone who dies gets back up okay and be as big a pain in that thing’s side as we can.” “With pleasure,” Blanc responded deviously. Accepting her answer as Keis’s answer, I turned to our guest. “Fehri, you do whatever you’re good at.” “Yes,” Fehri pumped his fist, “I’ll need drinks and some girls.” “This is serious,” Sierra glared at him. “I was being serious,” Fehri replied. The Vex were approaching the edge of the Ward. “Ready everyone?” I checked. I was answered with shuffling feet and Drew cocking his shotgun. The first Goblin stepped in, only for me to burst open its fluid container with a single shot. Everyone surged into motion as soon as the machine body fell. Sierra, Null, and Yvan all slipped the tips of their weapons through the force field and started knocking off Harpies while Drew, Trixie, and Nat ran out and tackled several Hobgoblins. Ilya, Quintel, and Welkine came close behind them, tearing into a Minotaur and a couple Hobgoblins. Last came Keis and I, with Crag slipping out behind like my shadow as I shredded a few Goblins with a grenade. A couple Harpies in front of me were shot out of the air, and I glanced to the left to see Ilya safely behind some cover in the corner of the room. I broke a Hobgoblin in half with a spinning kick, allowing Drew to run by and get to cover, punching a couple Goblins on the way, then moved by another Hobgoblin that was getting its head blown off by Sierra. Crag and I made it to the back of the room, and I covered him while he leaped up onto a balcony a few feet above our heads. Crag settled in and I began moving away, knowing that he wouldn’t give a verbal affirmation and the Titans would keep the Vex off of him. Just as I turned, a Minotaur careened past me and slammed into the wall, dropping to the ground lifelessly. Keis stood a short way off, making sure it was dead before turning to fight the Hydra. It was shooting at Nat’s position while Veronica and Keis shot at it, along with the occasional round from the Guardians in my Ward whenever there was a gap between its three revolving shields. It had to be one of the Vex Minds, but what was it doing here? My target display marked it only as Virgo Mind. If we didn’t know its name then its function must also be a mystery, but seeing as it had a Hydra chassis it must be directing some serious project. Coordinating system development in Freehold, perhaps? The Mind now turned to follow Veronica across the room, pounding the ground with blast after blast as it tried to kill her. Trixie died, but Keis took over her position until she was able to get back up again a moment later. More Vex were teleporting into the room, but Crag was doing a good job picking off any Hobgoblins that came through while Drew and Quintel charged around to take care of the rest. Then Ilya went down under the fire of a Harpy, and I ran over to assist. I shot the Harpy before it could move to try getting at her Ghost, then shouldered a Goblin out of the way and rolled over Ilya’s cover to land right next to her body. I destroyed a couple more Goblins before she pushed herself back up and joined me. Pt6: https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/245634777/0/0 Pt8: https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/245635057/0/0