Excerpt 001: Enquiring Minds

[rekindledtitan]

TYPE: Patrol log

LOCATION: Ishtar Sink, Venus

PARTIES: Three [3]. One [1] Ghost-type, [1] Guardian-type, designate Blaze-37, Class Titan [

rekindledtitan ], One [1] Unconfirmed, designate Aran, Samus [onemorebounty ]

 

ASSOCIATIONS: Multiversal Nexus; Samus Aran; Chozo; Ishtar Sink; Hezen Protective; Pelsor; House of Winter; Drevis; Blaze-37; Ishtar Academy



They land in a clearing on the city outskirts with grass under their boots and a heavy overcast above. The breeze that greets them is hot and humid, a little acidic. Around them is a densely-grown treeline, with broad leaves that are near-luminescent shades of green. Their rustle is echoed by the distant wash of waves from beyond the ruins.

Blaze turns to scan the area, hopeful of opposition even though her Ghost already checked the site. The broken towers and city blocks are quiet within the overgrowth. But then it’s not the human ruins which really stand out. To the north a massive volcano takes up much of the sky, belching out a noxious plume of ash and gas. Small wonder that each shift in the breeze makes the scent of the air waver between sulfurous and salty. Over the hills to both south and east loom dark geometric structures. Look at them with anything other than the optical spectrum, and they emit some very peculiar readings.

“At last,” the Exo remarks, feeling a thrill that doesn’t break her readiness. Her head’s turned up to check the skyline as she speaks. Then she's moving for the buildings. “We’re in Guardian territory, more or less. Doesn’t stretch too far yet. Won’t take long to find some trouble.”

Comments

[onemorebounty]

*Samus alights beside Blaze, looking around.*

We really should've been able to see this before now. From orbit, at least. Could we be out of phase with realspace, or something?

*She gives a suspicious glance back to the grav lift.*

[rekindledtitan]

“It’s… likely. The readings here are- they’re similar to reports from the Vault of Glass.”

“Where the Vex keep their really strange weapons,” Blaze comments for Samus’ benefit. “So we must be close to something good.”

“One way of putting it.” The Ghost pauses to gather itself before continuing. “There’s another quarantine zone ahead. Much larger this time. I’m marking it for you. The last Guardian to come through was able to traverse the area by jumping from structure to structure. Just- keep moving. Some of them phase in and out of our timeline, and I don’t trust that they’ll take us along.”

[onemorebounty]

Given what they mount on their guards, I'm looking forward to seeing what they consider strange and interesting enough to lock away. And what they guard it with.

*She's been watching the pieces of the structure fade in and out of phase.*

Blaze, do you have any kind of a grapple line? We could be each other's insurance if something fades unexpectedly. Whoever's not jumping stands ready to catch the other.

[rekindledtitan]

"No. But if I go ahead and you use yours, I can always pull you up." Blaze inspects the Ghost for a moment before she lets it vanish again. The nearest platform is about to phase back in, and she's not missing it this time.

[onemorebounty]

Or I can pull you.

*That last is said under her breath, and not shared over the comm line, but she'll be watching closely while Blaze makes her jump, ready to pull her back or leap after as soon as she's solidly in place.*

[rekindledtitan]

The first jump is quite easy, even without powered aids. Blaze hits solid metal and flashes a thumbs-up as she glances ahead, looking for the next step. They have about twenty seconds before it appears: it's hovering a level up ahead and left of them, only the right half low enough for Blaze to jump to.

Once Samus is behind her, she moves on without hesitation, moving up to make space at the edge. //Huh. This isn't so tricky.//

[onemorebounty]

*It's been established that Samus is kind of good at jumping. A nice platforming section in the open air almost reminds her of Elysia. If there's a brain in a jar, though, she's going to shoot it.*

If we weren't going to destroy this place, I'd look forward to coming back. This could make for some nice exercise.

[rekindledtitan]

She'll have to settle for shooting sort-of brains in robotic jars. Though for the next minute, at least, she can just enjoy the platform course.

//Hah, that part’s up ahead. And the way this place reeks, trust me, raining hell on the Vex is the best use for it.// She doesn’t know if Samus can feel it, but the oppressive presence that accompanies their enemies is building sharply as they progress. Which might be why the Ghost only takes full notice of their plan now.

//…Let me open a feed to Zavala. He may want to clear any other Guardians out of the area.//

[onemorebounty]

*Perhaps it's taken Ghost this long to realize they could actually do it. It's one thing for people to boast, "oh, we're going to go beard the Vex in the heart of their own lair and then wreck the place," it's another thing entirely to be within striking distance of dropping a massive complex several thousand feet onto a largely unsuspecting planet.*

I'll just have to find a good jumping course somewhere else, I guess. Oh, how I suffer.

*She laughs, springing ahead, though she does always keep an eye on Blaze, ready with the grapple line if it's needed.*

[rekindledtitan]

//Hey, you've got a whole galaxy to choose from!// Blaze answers her laughter, giving chase up and over and down onto the steadily phasing architecture. She's rather less adept at the game, though, and it looks like she's about to overshoot a particularly narrow platform.

[onemorebounty]

We've both got the whole multiverse, through the Nexus. It may not be a poverty of options that's the problem.

*The measure of a good ally is trust. Samus is willing to wait the fraction of a second to let Blaze try to stick the landing on her own, only launching her grapple if the guardian needs it.*

[rekindledtitan]

//Oh-// Blaze hits her thrust pack again for a last-second correction. She lands on the very edge and has to throw her weight back ungracefully to avoid stumbling off. Her mass saves her, though she nearly throws herself right onto her backside. She lets out a relieved ‘whew’ over the comms.

[onemorebounty]

Nice save.

*Samus is quick to follow, since these platforms have demonstrated themselves to be entirely less than trustworthy.*

So, you can feel them gathering nearby; any guess on how many, or how close?

[rekindledtitan]

//We're surrounded by Darkness here. I'm not strong enough to get a good read through it. Nothing on trackers yet, anyway.//

Making the next jump a little more safely, she clears the way and points to a much larger structure looming through the clouds ahead. Like another large block just ahead, it hasn't yet phased, and isn't going to any time soon. //I'd guess that's where our foes are waiting. Next one looks stable too. Maybe there's a terminal we can use.//

[onemorebounty]

*Samus springs after, scanning for, well, anything.*

Sounds good. All your attack barriers ready for another go, Ghost?

[rekindledtitan]

//I'm ready.//

It's good that they're keeping up the pace. No sooner has Blaze jumped for the stable waypoint than the preceding block starts phasing out. Hearing it go she whips about. //Jump!//

At the same moment the roiling black mist forms on the bigger platform behind her.

[onemorebounty]

*That warning was plenty for Samus. Although she couldn't feel the block under her fading, she's been waiting for it to happen on one platform or another. Thankfully, her suit's jets can propel her into a jump whether there's ground beneath her feet or not, but the imperfect start means it may take her a moment and a couple of hops to reach Blaze on the next block.*

Behind you!

[rekindledtitan]

More concerned with Samus in the moment, Blaze disregards her enemies for a couple of seconds. By the time Samus is clearly saving herself, a contingent of the lighter Vex have materialized and started raining fire on her.

When the Exo calculates that her friend will make it to solid ground, her first move is a jump of her own, breaking contact and turning to bound into her enemies.

The near right-hand corner of the structure is elevated into a raised block, like a small building if not for the lack of entrances. The Vex choose to wait until they've engaged both opponents, and then teleport in a pair of minotaurs up there, to throw in steady bolts of heavy void fire.

[onemorebounty]

*Samus bowls into the group, grabbing lighter Vex and flinging them over the edge. She's going to regret tossing away such valuable cover when the minotaurs arrive, however. She'll make do with those who remain, fighting close-in to ensure that, at the very least, the Vex are paying a high cost in friendly fire to bombard her.*

If you've got any ideas, I'm open to suggestions.

[rekindledtitan]

Blaze does have one idea, of course. She point-blanks the Vex in front of her so she can break off for a second, boosting up to try and hit the nearest minotaur with a charged fist. It meets her blow by walloping her straight from the air, shields only dented. She goes skidding back into the middle of the platform, her chestplate crumpled inward.

//Okay, didn't work,// she reports dazedly. So now she has to roll to her feet and punish the couple of units taking the chance to smack her while she's down. She's trying to back up toward the minotaurs' platform, under the arc of their mortar-style bombardment.//Tag-team? You hose 'em with the Void beam, I'll follow up.//

[onemorebounty]

*Samus is starting to think Blaze doesn't share her fondness for self-preservative tactical finesse. Plan B is a good one, though.*

On it.

*Falling back to the far periphery of the platform, Samus lays the Void fire on thick, circling left and right to avoid mortar fire and keep any remaining Vexlings out of her hair.*

[rekindledtitan]

Blaze quite enjoys tactical finesse when it's suggested. Self-preservation is a happy bonus.

It takes a couple of minutes for her armor to repair itself beyond the critical point, not helped by every void bolt or blow that gives it more work. But once Samus gets to work, Blaze can't leave her waiting. She shoots a couple more of the Vex in front of her, then reloads and backs up to target the minotaurs.

The beam swiftly overloads their shields - better still, staggers the pair for a few seconds. Blaze pumps one with bullets until it falls, then unloads the last of her clip on the other. She stops to reload and smack the Vex closing on her back, heartily wishing she could just drop a grenade here.

[onemorebounty]

*Blaze isn't entirely without cover, at least--while Samus lays down a pattern of Void fire, she's also snagging any Vex who stray too close to the Guardian with her grapple line, yanking them over the edge behind her.*

I'm going to be fairly annoyed if we kill these things and the block just phases out under us.

[rekindledtitan]

Well, now the Ghost's worried about it. //Maybe we should move closer to the edge.//

//Uh-huh.// The minotaur is on its last legs even as it's targeting Samus with its fire, and Blaze takes the opening. Under the concentrated fire the big Vex staggers, sparks and falls at last. //Hah, finally. See a terminal yet, Ghost?//

//Yes, and if we hurry perhaps I can secure the platforms.//

[onemorebounty]

Nice shot. Security sounds good right now.

*Assuming Ghost has again provided a map marker, it shouldn't take long to reach the chosen terminal, unless the Vex are teleporting reinforcements in. Samus is keeping an eye out for signs of the clouding that heralds Vex arrivals, a clusterful of missiles at the ready.*