"One way to smooth things out would be to get Rasputin on our side." Isidel chimed in.
Void finally looked up, expression flat. "Getting Rasputin on our side isn't exactly easy."
Alemyr blinked. "What do you mean, not easy? If anything, shouldn't the Warmind be happy about putting down the Cabal and Vex?"
"Well, technically, you'd be right. Just, not this time." Void shrugged.
Uzoma frowned. "Yeah. Something tells me you've dealt with Rasputin before."
Void's mouth twitched faintly. Not amused. More like remembering something unpleasant.
"I've tussled with him before," Void said. "It wasn't pleasant for either side."
The silence that followed was sharp.
Taeko-3 stared. "You really fought the Warmind?"
Void sighed. "He didn't like me, and to be honest, I wasn't a big fan of him either. Let's just say we disagreed on certain things."
Alemyr's brows rose. "That sounds like a massive understatement."
Void's eyes narrowed. "Regardless, Rasputin doesn't listen to me. Not readily. If I ping his systems and start asking for favours, he'll treat it like an intrusion."
Uzoma's voice went cautious. "So what. We just hope he doesn't notice."
Void shook his head. "No. We don't hope."
He stared at the Freehold coordinate again, then at the Gate Lord corpse, then at the radiolaria sphere.
There was always a third option.
Void's mind drifted, and a name surfaced with quiet weight.
'If there's one person who could influence Rasputin...It has to be her.'
'Ana Bray. However, finding her is no easy task.'
Void exhaled. "There's someone who might do it for me."
Gallida's eyes narrowed. "Who?"
Void shook his head, already half dismissing it. "Someone I know. Sort of? But that's… unlikely. Hard. Not something I can count on."
Isidel spoke up, steady. "If we can't have Rasputin on our side, we at least need the City on our side."
Void looked at her. "Yeah."
Isidel's tone didn't change. "You're about to start a three-way war in Freehold. If the City isn't aligned with what you're doing, we'll have minimal supply lines. It'll make the whole thing too difficult. Plus, with their new tech, it's not like we'll be able to hide what we're doing."
Void nodded slowly. "Agreed."
Taeko-3 folded her arms. "So you talk to the Vanguard."
Void's eyes flicked. "I will. They're already stepping into a conflict with the Cabal. Might as well do it for a reason that matters."
Alemyr exhaled. "Until then."
"Until then," Void said, "we stock up. Ammo. supplies. gear. We don't walk into Freehold light."
Gallida nodded. "We'll gather what we can."
Taeko-3's voice stayed dry. "Isn't your workshop manufacturing weapons?"
Void nodded once. "Yeah. I've got someone working on it back there."
Gallida's brows lifted slightly. "Someone. As in, one more person on your team?"
Void's lips curved faintly. "You'll meet him eventually."
Uzoma snorted and pointed at Marcus. "If he's anywhere near as odd as him, I'm good."
"Rude." Marcus cut in.
Void didn't deny it. He simply stepped away from the table.
"I'll stay in contact," he said. "Keep everything in order."
The Stoic inclined their head once, already back to quiet work.
Void turned and walked out.
The gate folded open for him, and the subspace shot him back into the dead campus shell.
A moment later, he was in orbit again.
He opened a channel.
[VANGUARD COMMS: CONNECTING…]
—
[Comms Link, Vanguard Channel]
The call connected cleanly.
Zavala appeared first, expression hard, eyes already evaluating. Ikorra stood beside him, calm and sharp. Cayde leaned in from the side like he'd been there the whole time, posture lazy, attention not lazy at all.
Cayde raised a brow. "Well, well, well, look who's calling. You miss us already?"
Void didn't play along. "Unfortunately, this is a serious call."
"Really? Hey, I mean, you know you can admit that you only missed me. We all know no one's missing Ikorra's stern glare." Cayde raised a cheeky brow, but seeing Void shake his head, he just sighed in response.
Cayde rolled his eyes. "Not in the mood? Fine. Go on, tell us what it is."
Ikorra's gaze sharpened. "Just ignore him. Is everything alright, Void?"
Void inhaled once. "I'm planning another initiative attack on Cabal territory."
Zavala's brows twitched.
Void continued. "The Vex are involved, and from the looks of it, Rasputin is involved too."
Cayde's eyes narrowed a fraction. "That's a fun list."
Zavala spoke with a leaden voice. "You can't face that many threats with a small force. Why attack at all?"
Void didn't bother dressing it up. "I need access to a sensitive Vex network gate. I have a key. The corresponding gate is in Freehold."
Ikorra's eyes narrowed slightly. "Freehold."
Zavala's jaw tightened. He understood the terrain immediately. He'd seen the reports. He'd seen what the Cabal had parked there.
Cayde muttered, "Those tanks."
Void nodded once. "Exactly."
Ikorra's voice was calm but firm. "What's so important behind that gate?"
Void chose his words carefully. "The Vex are hiding something behind it that could threaten us. I don't have the full picture. But enough to know we can't ignore it."
Ikorra held his gaze. "Where did you get that information?"
Void's mind moved fast. He played into the fact that Ikorra knew about Zamyr.
"Let's just say I paid a price for it," Void said.
Ikorra's eyes softened by a fraction, then hardened again. "Understood."
Cayde leaned forward slightly. "Freehold is no joke, Void. Cabal armoured tanks there will flatten New Lights before they learn what hit them."
Void's mouth curved, faint. "That's why I'm not asking them to charge head-on."
Zavala's brows lifted. "Then what are you doing?"
Void spoke plainly. "Artificial Vex surge."
Silence gripped the comms.
Ikorra blinked once and furrowed her brows. "Explain."
"Short version? We reanimate a Gate Lord corpse in Freehold. The Vex respond violently. The Cabal respond to the surge. They fight each other. We drop in during the chaos, secure the gate area, trigger the key, and enter. We hold the gate until extraction."
Cayde stared for a moment, then let out a low whistle. "That's…"
"And you've already got this corpse?" Ikorra finished, quieter than expected.
"Everything about that is taken care of." Void nodded, "I am making the final few preparations and then we can start staking out Freehold and pick a day. But of course, Rasputin is also a factor in this battle. As far as I can tell, he might drop warsats in the middle of battle to wipe out all forces on every side."
Zavala didn't speak immediately. Void could see it on his face; he was running through a battle-like simulation in his head.
Finally, he nodded. "I will support it."
Void's eyes narrowed slightly. "You will?"
Zavala's voice stayed firm. "If the target is a threat to our existence, and if this is the cleanest way to get you through a gate buried under Cabal siege, then yes. But I need to know what you require."
Void exhaled once. Relief didn't show on his face, but it loosened his shoulders.
"Call it a reunion," Void said. "I'll need specific people. The ones who can actually help without panicking."
Zavala nodded. "I know who to send."
Cayde smirked. "Of course you do."
Ikorra's gaze stayed on Void. "Keep us updated. If this shifts, we need to know."
Void nodded once. "You will."
The call ended.
The cockpit fell quiet again.
Obsidian hovered near the console, eye dim. "That went well."
Void leaned back in his seat. "It went."
Obsidian paused, then asked the question he'd been holding. "Since Zamyr is not here, aren't you… weaker."
Void didn't pretend otherwise. He stared out at the stars for a heartbeat before answering.
"Yeah," he said. "If I only rely on my Light, it'll be harder."
Obsidian's eye brightened slightly. "But you've been training."
Void nodded once. "That's why I've been pushing Arc. That's why I've been forcing myself to master it. I'm improving. Slowly."
Obsidian hummed. "Slow is fine, as long as you are improving, that's what's important."
Void's lips twitched as he looked at his status."True."
-
{Legendary Guardian System}
Name: Void Blade
Level: 40 (Max Lv.) (Restricted)
Light Level: 299
Subclass: Bladedancer (Lv 5/10) (Arc Blade)| Nightstalker Shadowfiend (Lv 10/10) (Shadowshot Deadfall/Spectral Blades)
[Weapons]:
Primary: Mamba MK1 (Legendary) (274 LL) (Hand-Cannon)
Secondary: Grimm Citizen III (Auto Rifle) (256 LL)
Heavy: Zamyr's Requiem* (Imperfect) (330 LL) (Sword) * Grows stronger by consuming souls.
[Gear]:
Helmet: Skull of Bones (250 LL)
Grips: Young Ahamkara Spine (224 LL)
Chest: Vest of the Great Hunt (230 LL)
Strides: Boots of Eao (240 LL)
Class Item: Cloak of the Great Hunt (230 LL)
=
Combat Perks: (10 Unlocked)
~Spectral Mastery: During combat, move with a flurry of dashes; your figure flickers, confusing your enemies.
~Spectral Shade: In combat, enemies have a higher probability of losing your presence if you break line of sight.
~Sixth Sense: As a hunter, you're able to sense danger a fraction of a second before it occurs.
~ Dagger mastery: As a skilled blade master, you're able to masterfully wield daggers, whether in long or short range encounters.
~Void Imbalance: Grenades are likely to explode immediately when shot with void weapons or void energy.
~Acrobats Dodge: Masterfully dodge your opponents; successful attack dodges allow instant counters and parries.
~Advanced Agility: You move fast, guardian!
~Triple Jump: Jump twice in the air using an intermediate mastery of light.
~Gilded Blade: Your melee attacks have a chance to trigger void singe on champion enemies
~Void Sense: Your glare pierces through the enemies, revealing their weaknesses, highlighting critical spots.
[Passive Perks]: (4 unlocked)
~Times Tempo
Remarks: Just when it matters most, time's tempo randomly matches your own.
~ Crafting Lv. 6/10
Remarks: Sometimes maybe good, sometimes maybe shi*
~ True Sight Lv. Max
Remarks: Perceive the world for what it is; perception is immune to mental and psychological attacks. Your gaze pierces through the unknown.
~Light Mastery Lv 4/10
Remarks: You may think you've got a long way to go, but you need to look back at how far you've already come. You may not be everything you want to be, but at least you're better than you used to be!
-
'Guess I really have come a long way. But light mastery (4) might not be enough.' He frowned.
Obsidian's tone turned careful. "Whatever happens in Freehold, we need to be careful. Cabal. Vex. Rasputin. That's a crowded battlefield."
Void's eyes narrowed, "Yeah," he murmured. "That's why we need to make sure the gate lord plan goes the way we want it to."
He keyed the nav. "Set coords to Io. We'll definitely need Asher Mir to be involved."
Void's jumpship turned slightly in the dark, lining up for the next move, space folded around it and disappeared.
-
A/N: Throw STONES!! Leave a review!
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