If you missed the last chapter of REEF MOB, you can find it [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/221127806/0/0]here[/url], or if you need to find a previous chapter, you can find them all in the [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/218618986?sort=0&page=0]Table of Contents[/url]. Please give a bump or leave a comment if you enjoy this and any other chapter! ***  Alarms continue to blare as Taniks roars orders to his crew and I struggle to free myself. Ari just watches me dumbstruck as another blast rocks the ketch and the rack I’m on sways again, creaking, and then finally groans. [i]The bolts are loose,[/i] the voice within me says. [i]Break them![/i] I begin swaying on the rack, heart pumping as adrenaline drives the last of the ether from me – Taniks is focused on barking orders to his crew through the comms and doesn’t see. My swaying grows wider until finally I’m able to pull the rack over – and land on my back with the heavy metal on top of me. I hiss in pain as the unforgiving deck collides with the fresh wounds Taniks made, but I bury the pain as Taniks turns toward the commotion. He sees me on the ground and roars with fury, advancing on me, but another shuddering blast rocks the ketch, this one sounding much closer, explosions and screams filling the silence between crashes. Taniks stumbles from the blast, and drops his shock blade as he grips his scorch cannon tighter. My eyes fixate on the blade as I worm my hand against my restraints, pulling, twisting, fresh blood leaking down my wrist as the restraints cut into me deeper – And then with a final twist and a crack, I pull my throbbing hand free – as Taniks aims his scorch cannon at the door, roaring into his comm, trying to figure out what’s going on, I quickly unstrap my other hand. Ari watches me breathlessly, eyes wide, as I free my hands and struggle to reach my feet. I can’t with the rack on top of me, and I shove it over, rocking back and forth – after a few moments, I’m able to pull one foot free, just as Taniks turns and sees me. “[i]Tanis stay![/i]” he bellows, aiming his scorch cannon at me – I freeze, not daring to breathe, as I glare into Taniks’ eyes defiantly. “No,” I growl back at him. He raises his scorch cannon, preparing to wipe his hands of me once and for all – [i]BOOOOOOM!!!![/i] Another roar and explosion rocks the ketch, and I take the opportunity to finish freeing my other foot – Taniks barks more orders at his forces, but there’s no reply – as he switches through channels to find his crew, I snatch the shock blade he’d dropped off the floor and start freeing Ari. “Go…” Ari whispers but I shush him. “Just shut up and keep still, I’ll have you out of here in a – “ Taniks turns to us again, and marches over, seizing me and hurling me across the room – I manage to hold onto the shock blade as I crash into the wall, collapsing to the floor with a grunt. Taniks approaches, looming over me imperiously. I get back on my feet and hold the shock blade in front of me as I gaze with pure hatred at the monster. “[i]Tanis obey[/i],” Taniks seethes. “No,” I hiss through gritted teeth. Taniks, apoplectic at my defiance, raises his leg to strike – I quickly duck away, rolling across the floor as Taniks stamps his foot down inches away from me – I spring to my feet, adrenaline thundering in my ears as I push aside the pain, the sorrow and indecision, and focus solely on the opponent in front of me. [i]The bloodstained child charged the beast, still drenched in her mother’s blood, fearless as she faced the towering terror –[/i] I dart toward Taniks quickly, rolling again as he stamps down, this time drawing the shock blade sharply across the back of his leg – he roars in pain as I draw blood, and with a thrill of triumph I see Taniks stumble. [i]Focus![/i] the voice inside me cries as I push down the jubilation. [i]Cut him again! BOOOOM!!!![/i] Another explosion throws us off, and I almost lose my balance as Taniks drags himself back to his feet. I charge again as he rises, and shove the blade into his leg as hard as I can – Taniks screams, and it’s the sweetest sound I’ve ever heard – [i]Back![/i] the voice inside me commands. [i]Keep out of range of his arms![/i] One of them swoops over me as I duck at the last second, feeling the breeze tousle my hair. He swings at me with another arm and I roll beneath it, darting away – Taniks raises his scorch cannon and fires at me – I dive, feeling the intense heat of the blast as it just misses me and burns a hole in the hull – Attack! the voice shouts, and I obey. I charge toward Taniks again and duck the next scorch blast he directs at me – darting quickly toward him, I bring the shock blade up once more – But Taniks jerks to the side suddenly, dodging, and my strike goes wide – he swings his arms again, and catches me in the back, hurling me toward a nearby wall – I crash into it with a sickening crush and fall to the ground, gasping for air as my chest spasms. “[i]Disobedience,[/i]” Taniks pants murderously as he struggles to his feet, stumbling toward me, dragging the leg I’d managed to injure behind him. “[i]Only earns more pain.[/i]” I try to drag myself away as Taniks approaches, but he reaches out and pins me to the ground – I struggle, but he’s just too strong – [b][i]FIGHT!!![/i][/b] the voice inside commands, and I use every fiber of will to obey – But Taniks is too big, too fast, too strong – he holds me down, yanks the shock blade from my fingers, and with a growl of anger, brings it down on me in a blur – I feel the shock as the blade passes easily through my muscles and bone, severing my leg just above the knee – I gasp with surprise, with denial, even as the pain mounts and tears spring to my eyes – [i]….no…..[/i] I struggle against Taniks’ hold as he raises the shock blade again. “[i]Just like your mother[/i],” he purrs to me. “[i]Limb from limb.[/i]” The bloodstained child bellows – the sensible part of me shouts orders, but I can’t hear anything over the thunder of blood in my head – against my better judgment, I steal a quick peek at where my leg used to be, and see torrents of blood oozing across the deck. [i]I’m going to die[/i], a voice within me says as I struggle to bury the terror that threatens to overwhelm me. [i]ETHERETHERETHERETHER[/i], screams another, and a part of me wishes I had some to combat the burning feeling emanating from my bloody stump. Neither Taniks nor I notice the eerie silence that’s fallen over Kaliks-Syn – he starts to bring the blade down – But I don’t feel anything – I anxiously peek through my eyelids, and see Taniks’ hand inches away from me, hovering in midair – it takes me a moment to see the red tendrils lashed tightly around his wrist, trailing off behind him – I follow the tendril back to its source, and see a lone figure, stained crimson, standing in the hole made by Taniks’ scorch cannon. He gazes silently at Taniks, and then pulls his tendrils back, yanking the monster off of me. Taniks drops the shock blade as he crashes to the deck, the tendrils pulling him closer to my mysterious savior as he struggles, roaring in defiance. I lie there, stunned, for several moments as the red figure takes on Taniks, then a voice within me whispers, [i]Ari.[/i] I turn back to the rack, seeing him still strapped in, and reach out to grab the shock blade. I pull myself over, grunting in agony, as Taniks’ roars echo around the room. Reaching Ari, I grab onto his leg and pull myself up, blood still pouring from my wound as adrenaline alone fuels me. “Ia,” he mutters weakly as the room begins to spin, the loss of blood making everything double. “Shut up,” I growl back to him, bringing the shock blade up and slicing through the bonds holding his hands – once they’re free, I collapse back to the deck, black spots dancing in the air in front of me. Ari quickly pulls his feet free and rushes to my side, cradling my head as I see tears spring to his eyes. “Ia, I’m so sorry…” he whispers sadly as Taniks roars. I look and see the red figure pulling him closer, the red tendrils spreading across the Fallen mercenary’s body. Ari rips a strip of cloth from his own shift and ties it around my leg, pulling tightly to make a tourniquet, before both of us look to Taniks, watching with a mix of joy and sorrow as the monster finally succumbs to a force greater than himself.