Destiny, Side Episode VII: Queen of the Reef

Previous Episode: Episode XVI, The Stranger's Call
Next Episode: Episode XVII, The Ishtar Collective

Somewhere in the Reef...

Day 036

            The Galliot shuddered as it dropped out of NLS. Lisset fought to stabilize the fighter, and quickly, her eyes darting about the canopy to make sure it didn’t smack into some floating piece of debris. In-between the slowly drifting asteroids were jagged shards of starship hulls, more than capable of destroying the small craft if they were to collide. It had been too long since she had been in the Reef, Lisset thought. All the old ways in were lost to her, tricks from a lifetime ago.

            “Where did all of these wrecks come from?” Lisset wondered aloud as she navigated under the hulk of some ancient transport. There were tales told to Awoken children that spoke of how the Awoken came to the Reef, but those were memories lost to the Hunter.

            “Every ship that could escape Earth during the Collapse tried to.” Dal answered slowly. “I guess this is as far as they made it.”

            “It’s a graveyard,” Lisset muttered, “now and then.” Her eyes darted about warily, looking for any threats. It hadn’t been so long that Lisset had forgotten her escape, or the Fallen that tried to prevent it. A Skiff, or worse, could be lurking behind any piece of debris. She gripped the joystick tighter as she piloted the Galliot deeper into the cloud. “How did we survive out here?”

            “No one knows.” Dal replied. Two beeps sounded in the cockpit of the fighter – two new contacts, closing from behind. Within a heartbeat they were flanking her, two Galliots painted gold and purple, bearing the ensign of the Awoken.

            “Intruder bearing one-two-seven, you have crossed into the realm of the Awoken.” A voice announced over comms. Lisset ground her teeth together, bracing for evasive maneuvers. “State your business, or be fired upon by order of the Queen.” Lisset shot a sideways look at her Ghost, who simply looked nervously back at her.

            “Don’t look at me!” Dal said, his voice slightly panicky. “You’d better say something.” Lisset tapped the comms button, sighed, and spoke her reply.

            “I am Corsair Lisset, acting on behalf of the Tower on Earth.” She started, slowly. “I am here to seek the council of the Queen.” There was a very, very long pause on the other side of the channel, no doubt the commander of the two-ship flight scrambling to cross-reference the name with Awoken personnel records and inform her superiors of Lisset’s intent.

            “Conform to my trajectory.” The voice returned, sounding somewhat strained. Lisset couldn’t blame her for that – it wasn’t very often someone guided a ghost home. “Any deviation will be taken as an act of aggression.” Lisset sighed, and leaned back in her seat. The gambit had worked, at least for now. She smiled wanly at her Ghost.

            “Looks like we’re in the right place.” She said. Dal simply shook his shell.

            “Why is the right place always so terrifying?”

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   Her fighter docked, Lisset moved slowly through the tight corridors of the facility. If she had to guess, it was some gutted Ketch, a prize from the Reef Wars, but she hadn’t gotten a very good look at it. If it was a ship, it was possible that it was far more active than the Queen wanted to show. A door opened, revealing a grand throne room. A long catwalk lead to an ornate chair carved out of some Fallen device, purple and gold banners streaming from it. A man stood next to it, wearing rough armor and a condescending look on his face.  Recognition flashed through the Hunter’s mind – Prince Uldren. She resisted the urge to glower at him.

            “So, you’re the trespasser demanding an audience.” Uldren said, pacing towards Lisset and Dal. The latter floated slightly behind and above his keep’s right shoulder, ready for anything. Flanking them both were two Awoken guard, weapons at their hips. Lisset did not recognize them with their helmets on, but she recognized their weapons. They were Corsairs, and they had the Vestian Dynasty holstered at their waists.

            “We didn’t mean to trespass.” Dal replied, trying to sound as official as he could. Uldren stared at it contemptuously, and the Ghost fell silent, realizing his mistake – he had not been allowed to speak yet.

            “The Queen herself judges who may or may not enter the realm.” Uldren continued. He smirked at the two, his hands seemingly glued to his hips as he spoke. “Me? I see no reason why she should be available to a freak such as you.” He paused, watching Lisset for a reaction. The Hunter merely stared back at the Prince, her eyes narrowing. “Oh, yes, I know who you are. The missing Corsair, back from the dead.” He took another step. “I’ve known about you since you left the Reef.” Uldren leaned closer, leering at her. “If it were up to me, I’d throw you to the Techuens to dissect.” Suddenly, the man stepped back, giving Lisset some space. “But alas, here we are.”

            “My Prince, we came here to ask for help-“ Lisset started, but stopped suddenly when she noticed movement behind the throne. From the shadows climbed out two Fallen in blue robes, heavy staffs in their hands. The sudden shock of surprise quickly turned to anger and adrenaline.

            “Fallen!” Dal shouted in alarm. Lisset slammed into the Corsair to her right, snatching the sidearm from her belt and swinging it round to face the incoming threat. It felt so natural to hold one again, her movements as fluid as can be – before they were suddenly stopped at the sensation of a knife against her throat. Uldren’s left hand was on her shooting arm, and his right held a long blade against the Hunter’s neck. There was an odd expression on his face, one that Lisset couldn’t place – was he impressed? There was a soft laugh from the shadows behind the Fallen, and the two aliens suddenly stood straight, their staffs moving from a defensive posture to a ready one.

            Out of the shadows walked a woman of incredible beauty, with blue skin, almost pure white hair, and burning blue eyes. “It is afraid of the Fallen.” She spoke, pacing past the aliens and taking a seat on the throne. “It does not understand that these ones are mine.” Lisset froze in place, and suddenly the knife was removed from her throat. The stolen Vestian in her hand was snatched back by its original owner, the Corsair glowering at her from beneath her helmet. Uldren turned back to her, bowing softly.

            “Apologies, your Grace.” The Prince said, pacing back to her. He turned to look back at Lisset, his face steady. “You may state your request. Speak quickly – the Queen of the Awoken waits for no one.” Lisset nodded, cleared her throat, and tried to remember what Koga had told her before she had left for the Reef.

            “I am Corsair Lisset, now a Guardian for the City.” She started, hesitantly. A single misstep would lead to disaster, assuming that the Queen had not already decided to decline anything she asked. Whatever the Awoken monarch was thinking was hidden, her face perfectly calm. “We are in search of the Black Garden.” Uldren reacted like he had been stung.

            “Why?” He growled, staring at the Guardian. Lisset’s gaze did not move from where it had been placed on the Queen.

            “We seek to destroy the Darkness at its heart.”

            “You wish to turn it into a battleground.” Uldren scoffed. “How unimaginative.” Lisset resisted the urge to look at him. It was a test, one that she had seen others fail before, a long time ago.

            “Do you know where it is?” Lisset asked, her voice echoing in the silent throne room.

            “Of course we do.” Uldren retorted. “The hard part is getting in.” Very steadily, Lisset turned her head to face the Prince.

            “Then can you help us?” She asked. Uldren’s face became a snarl, and he stepped towards the Hunter.

            “And why would we do that?”

            “The Queen requests council with her brother.” Her voice cut through the tension like a knife, and suddenly Uldren paused, turning slowly to face the Queen. Cautiously, he approached her, kneeling so that his ear was even with her whispering mouth. The Prince nodded slightly as the Queen spoke, until finally he began to grin.

            “Yes, that’s good.” He said, getting back to his feet. “That’s very good.” The Prince turned to look back at Lisset, who was still waiting patiently before them both. “Why not? We’ll make you a key. How’s that?” He smiled like a jackal at her. “All we need is the head of a Vex Gate Lord.”

            “A Gate Lord?” Dal sputtered, surprised. “Uh, we-“ The Ghost trailed off, the request a bit too much for him to handle.

            “Why do you require a Vex head?” It was an impertinent question, but at this point curiosity had overridden sense. Uldren’s grin turned into a scowl.

            “Oh, we don’t. And I doubt we’ll get one either.” The Prince countered. “But it’s your only hope of getting into the Black Garden.” Lisset paused, nodded, and then bowed softly.

            “We will return.” She said.

            “Or die on Venus.” Uldren replied. “Either way.” He waved his hands at the Corsairs, and the dutifully began to move towards the door, making sure that Lisset stayed in front of them at all times. They escorted her all the way to the hangar, where her Galliot awaited her return.

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            Uldren looked back at the Queen, the Guardian now gone. “Why?” He asked, pacing back towards his sister. “You’ve sent them off to die.” The Queen looked back at him, curiously.

            “Would you rather that we send a fleet in its place?” Mara Sov got back to her feet, her Fallen guards watching her movements carefully with their many eyes. “There is an opportunity here.” She continued, walking slowly to the rear entrance to the chamber, the one that lead to her quarters. “You yourself know of what is happening inside the Garden. You told me of it.”

            “I know I did.” Uldren frowned. “But to trust a Guardian? There has been bad blood between us and the City ever since Petra-“

            “-since Petra did her duty.” The Queen interrupted her brother, turning to face him. “The Awoken are without allies, and we both know what happens if the Vex complete what they have started. It will lead to the death of us all.” She turned away from him again, and paced to the door. She stopped as it opened, and looked over her shoulder at Uldren.

            “Keep on eye on this one.” She said, her voice echoing softly. “There is something special about Corsair Lisset.”

            “Aside from the fact that she’s back from the dead?” Uldren replied drolly. The Queen smirked at that, and then passed through the threshold. The Prince sighed slightly, then turned to head the other way. He had business to attend to, and records to comb through again. Somehow, he had the feeling that he would be seeing the Hunter again.