A Guardian Rises

You feel tired. Your entire body aches, as though it has been asleep for an eternity. Something cold presses against your back, while a strange warmth surrounds your heart. Slowly, the pain begins to fade. Your senses return one by one.

You hear a voice. "Guardian... Guardian?" It's strange. Almost robotic, yet unmistakably alive. "Eyes up, Guardian!"

You don't understand the words, but somehow, you know what to do. Your eyelids feel impossibly heavy. After a moment of struggle, you finally manage to open your eyes.

Light.

Blinding white light. You instinctively turn your head away, your vision filled with shifting colors and indistinct shapes. Slowly, your eyes adjust. "It worked... You're alive!" Something floats above you. At first, you can barely make out its shape. A strange machine, perhaps? You blink, and its form becomes clearer: a small spherical mechanical core surrounded by several independently floating pieces of metallic shell. At its center, a single glowing blue eye looks directly at you. "You don't know how long I've been looking for you..."

You try to move. Your hands respond sluggishly as you raise them before your face. They're yours. At least, you think they are. Your fingers feel stiff and unfamiliar. You flex them, slowly rediscovering how to move, how to feel, how to exist.

"I'm a Ghost." The little machine drifts closer. "Actually... now I'm your Ghost." You stare at it.

"And you... Well, you've been dead a long time."

Dead.

The word feels strangely distant.

"So, you're going to see a lot of things you won't understand."

A sudden screech pierces the air. The Ghost immediately turns toward the sound. Its shell pieces shift slightly around its glowing eye, and its attention snaps toward the ruins surrounding you. "This is Fallen territory. We aren't safe here." Fallen? The word means nothing to you. Before you can ask, your Ghost begins scanning the surroundings, turning from side to side as though searching for something.

"I have to get you to the City."

The City? You look around. The landscape is barren, scattered with the rusted frames of abandoned vehicles and the remains of forgotten structures. An enormous concrete wall stretches across the distance, its imposing silhouette cutting through the horizon. Is there a city beyond it? Is that where this machine intends to take you?

Questions begin to pile up faster than you can make sense of them. The Ghost suddenly turns back toward you and floats closer. "Hold still." Before you can react, the little machine disappears in a brief flash of blue light. Its shell pieces vanish along with its glowing eye, leaving only a handful of faint blue sparks drifting through the air.

You are alone, for a moment. "Don't worry. I'm still with you." The voice resonates inside your head, clear and unmistakable, almost as though there were a radio built somewhere within your mind. Your Ghost is still there, somehow. You simply can't see it anymore. "We need to move. Fast."

A small waypoint appears in your field of vision, marking a service door near the base of the enormous wall. You have only just returned to life, and already something out there is hunting you. Whatever the Fallen are, whatever the City might be, and whatever it means to be a Guardian... you'll have to find out along the way.

The last Fallen collapses, and for a moment, there is only silence. Your breathing is heavy. Your hands tremble slightly as you stare at the body of the Captain lying several feet away. The energy that had surrounded you has already faded, leaving only a faint tingling in your fingers. You still don't understand what you just did. You had been cornered. Surrounded. The Fallen were stronger than you, faster than you, and there had been nowhere left to run. Then something inside you answered. You felt it before you saw it. A strange warmth rushing through your body, answering your instinct to survive. For a brief moment, the air itself seemed to crackle around you. And then it was gone.

"That was Light. You... actually used it." Your Ghost hovers beside you, its single eye fixed on the fallen Captain. There is a hint of amazement in its voice. "I knew you could. I just—well, I wasn't expecting you to figure it out quite that quickly."

You look at your hands again, trying to replicate your feat. Nothing. Just your hands.

*"Don't worry. You'll get the hang of it." The Ghost turns toward the heavy metal door ahead. "We're almost through. Come on."

You follow. The massive breach in the wall opens into the ruins beyond. As you step through, the first thing you notice is the light. Sunlight. Your eyes immediately sting. You squint and instinctively raise a hand to shield your face. After spending so long beneath the ruins and inside the darkness beyond the wall, the open sky feels almost painfully bright.

"Easy." Your Ghost floats ahead. "Your eyes will adjust."

Slowly, the world comes into focus. The Divide. Broken structures stretch across the landscape. Massive pieces of Golden Age infrastructure rise from the earth, half-consumed by time and vegetation; abandoned centuries ago. For the first time since you woke up, you can see just how large this place really is. Then—

A bright flare shoots into the sky and the ground trembles. You feel it beneath your boots. You look toward the horizon as something enormous is descending through the clouds. The shape grows larger and larger. A massive spaceship tears into the atmosphere. Its engines roar across the sky as it descends toward the Cosmodrome. The pressure of its passage shakes the ruins around you. The distant scaffolding surrounding an old rocket tower erupts in a metallic screech. The enormous structure collapses, sending a cloud of dust rolling across the landscape.

Your Ghost's eye widens. "Oh, no." Several smaller craft emerge from beneath the massive ship as it flies overhead. "Fallen Skiffs!" One after another, they descend toward the Cosmodrome.

You watch them spread across the sky. Then one turns. It is coming directly toward you. The Skiff descends into the clearing ahead. Its engines blast dust and loose debris across the ground. You instinctively brace yourself against the wind while something enormous drops from beneath.

It lands with a deafening metallic crash. The ground shakes beneath your feet as dust rolls away. Through the haze, you see it: A massive mechanical walker. Six enormous legs dig into the earth as the machine rises to its full height. Its armored body resembles a gigantic metal spider, covered in plates, cables and weapon systems.

Its central cannon rotates, slowly and deliberately, until it points directly at you.

"Guardian..." Your Ghost's voice is suddenly much quieter.

The Walker locks onto your position. You feel that familiar sensation again; that strange warmth beneath your skin. The same Light that answered you when you had nowhere else to turn. Only this time, there is nowhere to hide.

The Walker's cannon begins to charge, and the time to act is now!

The Fallen Walker was a tough fight. The enormous machine had taken everything you could throw at it, its armored body absorbing your attacks while its weapons threatened to tear you apart. But eventually, its mechanical legs buckled, its weapons fell silent, and the massive machine collapsed into a smoking heap of metal.

"You're doing great! Keep your focus on the Fallen." Your Ghost remains hidden... inside you?, its blue eye following the surrounding ruins. Despite the encouragement, it seems just as relieved as you are that the fight is about to be over as you pick off the remaining Fallen.

"No ship, unfortunately. But I'm detecting a friendly signal nearby. Someone might be able to help us!" The Ghost's eye brightens as a transmission crackles through the air.

"...I repeat, this is Shaw Han. My Vanguard operation is compromised. I'm separated from my fireteam."

"Vanguard!" Your Ghost exclaims. "They're from the Last City!"

The transmission continues, though you can only make out more static..

"Shaw, where are you? We can help!"

"Cas, Maeve, if you're hearing this, rendezvous at the following coordinates..."

The signal begins to deteriorate. "Something's interfering with the transmission. I don't think he heard us, but I've managed to lock onto his location."

Your Ghost projects a waypoint once more, marking a route through the abandoned structures. "Come on. Let's see if we can find him."

The journey isn't entirely peaceful. A pair of Shanks emerge from the surrounding ruins, accompanied by several Fallen who have apparently noticed your presence. They aren't responsible for the interference, but they certainly aren't going to let you pass without a fight.

After dealing with the unexpected interruption, you finally reach the coordinates at Dock 13. The ruined industrial complex stretches before you, its old structures and scattered debris casting long shadows across the ground. Somewhere nearby, the transmission originated.

You turn a corner and spot a man. He wears Guardian armor and a distinctive cape, standing near the remains of a strange creature clad in chitinous armor. He appears to be murmuring something to himself, occasionally glancing toward the surrounding structures.

That must be Shaw Han.

However, the moment you step into the open, he notices you. His head snaps in your direction. In a fraction of a second, he turns around and raises his rifle, aiming directly at your center of mass. It's a Khvostov 7G-02. The same model of rifle you recovered inside the wall. His eyes scan your silhouette ina fraction of a second for anything that might identify you as a threat. Then he recognizes your armor. His shoulders relax, and the rifle lowers.

"Oh, thank the Light! I didn't think we had other Guardians on patrol out here." He turns back toward the remains of the strange creature, momentarily collecting his thoughts. "Listen, my fireteam's missing, I need backup, and—" He stops. Turning toward you again, he finally takes a proper look at your equipment. His gaze lingers on your armor, the deep soil still clinging to its surfaces, the disheveled condition of your gear and the unmistakable signs of someone who has only recently returned to the world of the living.

"Oh..." His expression changes. "You're fresh out of the grave, aren't you?"

You haven't even been awake for an hour, and somehow, this man has already figured it out.

"We heard your distress call!" Your Ghost interjects, floating forward. "We're here to help!"

Shaw looks at the little machine, then back at you. You could hear the smile forming beneath his helmet. "Brave. I like it. Tall order for your first day, though." He turns away with a frustrated groan, running a hand over his helmet. "Doesn't help that I rushed the perimeter scans, and now..." He glances toward the surrounding ruins, his expression becoming more serious.

"I need to locate my team before there's nothing left to find." He pauses, looking back at you. "Sit tight. I'll get you to the City soon enough." He turns back toward the ruined structures, apparently preparing to resume his search.

Your Ghost hovers beside you, its eye following Shaw before turning toward you. Here stands another Guardian. Someone who has been protecting humanity far longer than you have been alive this time around. His fireteam is missing, his operation is compromised, and he clearly needs assistance. But you're still a newly resurrected Guardian. You barely understand your own abilities, let alone the world you've returned to.

Will you accept Shaw's offer and wait for him to take you to the Last City? Or will you pick up your rifle, step forward and offer to help him find his missing fireteam? For the first time since your resurrection, the next step is entirely yours.

A few seconds after Shaw Han leaves Dock 13, a short transmission crackles through your comms. "There's a weapon in that locker. Probably an upgrade for you. Grab it and head to my location."

The nearby locker is old, its metal surface stained by years of rust and exposure. Inside rests a Hand Cannon. Your Ghost approaches the weapon, its blue eye scanning the firearm as its shell segments rotate. "Oh! This is a Rare weapon. A Ballyhoo Mk.27. Not bad at all!" The Hand Cannon is an old model, its design bearing the unmistakable marks of a bygone age. Yet, somehow, its presence feels more familiar than it should.

"I'll scan for signals from my jumpship. I need you to be my eyes on the ground." Your Ghost dissapears just as Shaw Han guides you through the facility. The route leads through a broken metal gate, beyond which the landscape opens into a vast stretch of abandoned infrastructure.

The Steppes.

The Cosmodrome extends far beyond the enormous wall you crossed earlier. Rusted vehicles and solid, abandoned structures litter the landscape, while the skeletal remains of enormous launch towers rise above the horizon. Strange rockets stand suspended in their launch structures, remnants of an age when humanity reached for the stars.

"Damn." Shaw's voice comes through the comms. "Fireteam signals are missing, and their last known locations are nowhere near each other. They wouldn't split up unless things got real bad."

The link remains open as he thinks things over, waging the risks of sending a recently rezzed Guardian alone. However, it doesn't take long before he makes a decision. "I'll track Cas. You find Maeve. Sending coordinates now." A brief transmission follows. Your Ghost receives the data, projecting a waypoint toward the northern section of the Cosmodrome, past the Mothyards.

"Got it. Maeve's last known location is somewhere up ahead. Let's see if we can find her."

The journey takes you through the remains of ancient cargo planes. Their enormous fuselages lie scattered across the terrain, some broken open and half-buried beneath years of accumulated dirt. Rusted wings jut out from the ground, while the skeletal frames of other aircraft cast long shadows over the abandoned airfield.

As your Ghost scans the surroundings, its eye turns toward you.

"You know, I should probably tell you a little more about the Fallen. They're not exactly the friendliest neighbors." It floats alongside you, its voice taking on a more explanatory tone. "Myths say they once lived in the Traveler's grace, just like humanity. They had their own civilization, their own Golden Age. But something happened. The Traveler left them, and their civilization fell into ruin."

The Ghost briefly looks toward the distant sky. "They've crossed the stars chasing what they lost. Some want to reclaim the Traveler's favor. Others seem perfectly content to take whatever they can from us." Its eye brightens again. "Either way, they aren't going to leave humanity alone."

Eventually, the waypoint leads toward an old industrial complex your Ghost identifies as the Lunar Complex of the Cosmodrome. Its entrance is sealed behind a shimmering blue energy field, the barrier stretching across the access point like an invisible wall made visible by its glow.

Your Ghost approaches the obstruction, scanning its surface. "Looks like the Fallen are trying to keep us out!"

"Or keep something in." Shaw's voice cuts through the comms, his tone noticeably less certain than your Ghost's. "There's worse than Fallen Dregs in Old Russia."

The Ghost turns slightly toward the communication signal. "Well, that's reassuring..." It drifts closer to the entrance, examining the equipment mounted beside the sealed passage. "Let's check out the control unit."

The machine is an old piece of Fallen technology, its casing weathered but still operational. Several indicator lights flicker across its surface, and a small interface pulses beneath a layer of dust.

Your Ghost materializes beside the device, its shell opening as its eye projects a concentrated beam of blue light over the control panel. "Hmm... This is locked down with adaptive encryption. We'll need access keys to bypass it." The scan ends. The Ghost withdraws its light and turns toward the surrounding airfield. Its shell segments rotate, and a moment later, the little machine vanishes in a flash of blue Light. Its voice remains audible through your connection. "The Fallen Salvagers might have some of the access keys."

A waypoint appears on your Ghost's projection, marking the location of an old, rusted aircraft in the Mothyards. "Let's start there. If the Fallen have been scavenging this area, they might have exactly what we need." The sealed complex remains behind you, its blue barrier humming steadily. Somewhere among the wreckage of the ancient airfield, the Fallen are holding the keys to whatever lies beyond it.

And somewhere out there, Cas and Maeve are still missing.

Shaw Han has kept his promise. Pausing his immediate mission in the Cosmodrome, he has offered you the opportunity to travel to the Last City, acquire proper equipment, and join the front lines alongside other Guardians. The hum of engines interrupts the relative silence of the camp. Approaching from beyond the ruined structures, an Arcadia-class jumpship descends through the morning sky. Its engines flare as it slows, hovering just above the ground beside the camp. The ship's landing gear extends, and its cockpit canopy unlocks with a mechanical hiss.

"I'm going to stay here in the Cosmodrome." Shaw adjusts his rifle, looking towards the approaching ship before turning his attention back to you. "There's still plenty of work to do. You, however, should head to the Tower. Get yourself geared up, meet the other Guardians, and see what you can do for the City."

He pauses for a moment, offering a small, reassuring smile. "You've done more than enough for someone on their first day. Besides, something tells me we'll be seeing each other again."

Your Ghost floats closer to the jumpship, its eye briefly scanning the hull before turning towards Shaw. "Thank you, Shaw. For everything."

"Don't mention it. Just make sure you get there in one piece." With a final exchange of farewells, the boarding ramp extends. Once aboard, the cockpit comes to life as the ship's systems activate. Your Ghost settles into the navigation interface, taking control of most of the flight systems while leaving the controls accessible to you. "Alright, Guardian. Let's get you home."

The engines roar to life. The jumpship rises above the camp, banking away from the Cosmodrome's ruined launch towers before climbing into the atmosphere. The familiar landscape of Old Russia begins to shrink beneath you: endless stretches of dry grassland, dense forests, snow-covered mountains, and the rusted remains of humanity's forgotten spaceport. The great wall that once stood between you and the outside world gradually disappears into the horizon.

Soon, the atmosphere gives way to the darkness of space. Earth's curvature becomes visible beneath the cockpit, its blue surface stretching endlessly beneath a thin veil of clouds. The Ghost handles the more complicated maneuvers, although every now and then, they allow you to take the controls for a little while.

As the journey continues, the familiar geography of the northern hemisphere gives way to the vast blue expanse of the Pacific Ocean. From orbit, the continents appear almost deceptively small. Great formations of clouds drift over the ocean, casting enormous shadows across the water. Eventually, the western coastline of South America comes into view.

The ship begins its descent, passing over the rugged terrain of the continent. The immense Andes mountain range stretches beneath you, its peaks covered in snow and ice, while deep valleys and vast stretches of wilderness extend between them. Far below, the landscape becomes increasingly mountainous, and the early morning sunlight begins to illuminate the highest summits. Ahead, a massive storm system gathers around the upper reaches of the mountain range. Dark clouds obscure the peaks, occasionally illuminated by distant flashes of lightning.

"The last survivors of humanity's Collapse call the City home." Your Ghost's voice becomes a little softer as the ship approaches the storm.

"This is why I brought you back." There is something almost sheepish in their tone, as though they're suddenly aware of the enormous responsibility they've placed upon you. "To defend them..."

The jumpship enters the storm as heavy clouds engulf the cockpit, and distant thunder rumbles around the hull. Rain streaks across the canopy, but the ship barely experiences any turbulence. Its engines maintain a steady rhythm as your Ghost carefully navigates through the dense cloud formations. For a moment, the entire world outside becomes a shifting mass of grey and white. Yet, despite the apparent chaos, the ship follows a remarkably steady course. It's almost as though there's a path through the storm that only your Ghost can see.

"And to reclaim our lost worlds." Gradually, the clouds begin to thin. Shafts of sunlight pierce through the storm, illuminating the mountain peaks below. The darkness gives way to a brilliant morning sky, and the last remnants of the storm disappear behind you. Then, the clouds part. For a brief moment, the sunlight is almost blinding. As your vision adjusts, an enormous silhouette emerges beyond the mountains.

"We're here..." For the first time since resurrecting you, your Ghost sounds genuinely at peace.

Floating above the horizon is an enormous white sphere. Its smooth, pale surface contrasts against the blue sky, dwarfing everything around it. The Traveler. Beneath it lies an immense settlement, surrounded by colossal defensive walls that stretch across the landscape. Towers rise above the City's skyline, their structures catching the morning sunlight. Even from this distance, the scale is difficult to comprehend. Thousands upon thousands of buildings, countless lives, and an entire civilization sheltered beneath the Traveler's shadow.

"The Traveler. The Last City." Your Ghost pauses, allowing the sight to speak for itself. "Humanity's last safe haven. Everything we've fought to protect."

The jumpship banks towards the settlement, approaching one of the enormous Towers overlooking the City. The landing facilities on the side gradually become visible, with other jumpships arriving and departing, their engines illuminating the surrounding hangars.

"Welcome home, Guardian." Your Ghost takes over the final approach, carefully guiding the Arcadia into a large hangar adjoining one of the City's Towers. The landing gear extends, and the ship settles onto the platform with a gentle mechanical thud.

Beyond the cockpit, the sounds of the Tower begin to filter through: distant engines, mechanical equipment, footsteps, and the voices of other Guardians going about their duties. For the first time since opening your eyes in the ruins of Old Russia, you are no longer surrounded by abandoned machinery and hostile scavengers.

You have reached the Last City.

After searching the nearby salvage terminals scattered throughout the Mothyards, the necessary keys have finally been recovered. The Fallen may have been careless with their equipment, but their scavenging efforts have provided exactly what you need. Returning to the industrial complex, your Ghost approaches the control unit. Its shell opens, and a concentrated beam of blue Light connects with the interface. "All right. Let's see if these keys do the trick."

The machine chirps several times as the encryption begins to unravel. One by one, its indicators change, and the shimmering blue barrier across the entrance flickers before finally collapsing. The control unit gives one last mechanical chirp before powering down.

Then something growls. The sound comes from somewhere beyond the entrance. Deep, guttural, and unmistakably inhuman. It reverberates through the surrounding structures, followed by several distant screeches that sound nothing like the Fallen you've faced so far.

"Oh..." Your Ghost immediately turns toward the complex. Its shell segments shift into a defensive configuration, and its blue eye narrows. "Shaw, you were right about this barrier." Its voice has changed. The usual curiosity and optimism are replaced by unmistakable concern.

"The Fallen were keeping the Hive at bay!" The name comes with a sudden urgency as another growl echoes from the darkness.

Beyond the entrance, the Lunar Complex stretches into a network of dark corridors and abandoned facilities. The sounds grow louder as the barrier disappears: distant howls, scraping claws, and the unmistakable noise of something moving through the shadows. Whatever lies inside has noticed the disturbance.

"Then Maeve is in more trouble than I thought." Shaw's voice crackles through your comms. For a moment, the transmission is interrupted by static, but his next words carry a sense of urgency. "You need to hurry!"

The interior of the Lunar Complex is anything but welcoming. The corridors are dimly lit, their walls covered in grime and rubble. Strange growths and unfamiliar markings appear across some of the surfaces, as though something has been spreading through the facility for a very long time. The growls are everywhere now.

Something crawls across a ceiling somewhere above. Gunfire echoes through a distant passage, followed by a brief burst of electrical crackling. Other sounds answer from further inside: shrill cries, scraping noises and the occasional heavy impact against metal.

Your Ghost scans the surroundings, attempting to locate Maeve's signal. "Maeve? Can you hear us?" No response.

Turning a corner, the passage opens onto a damaged section of the facility. A large hole has been torn through the wall ahead, revealing another corridor beyond it. Unfortunately, the passage is blocked. A violent surge of Arc energy lashes across the opening. Blue-white lightning bolts erupt from an unstable field, striking the surrounding metal and sending sparks scattering across the floor. The electrical discharge pulses irregularly, filling the chamber with a harsh, continuous crackle.

Your Ghost keeps its distance, scanning the phenomenon. "This is a powerful surge of Arc energy. Whatever's causing it, even transmatting won't get us through right now." Its eye shifts toward a nearby flight of stairs. "There's another way around. Let's try going up there."

With the electrical surge disrupting the facility's systems, the lights have gone completely dark. The only illumination comes from the occasional flash of Arc energy behind you and the faint blue glow of your Ghost. It floats just behind your shoulder, directing its eye forward like a small flashlight. "Stay close. I can barely make out what's ahead."

The stairs lead into another chamber. The air feels stale, and the surrounding machinery is almost completely silent beneath the distant electrical crackling. Then comes a howl. A piercing, shrill cry that cuts through the darkness. Several shapes stir beyond the reach of your Ghost's light. Something moves between the machinery, followed by the unmistakable sound of claws scraping against the floor.

"Hive contact!" Your Ghost's warning comes just as the first creatures emerge. They are vaguely humanoid, but their bodies are little more than skeletal frames covered in pale, chitinous armor. Their limbs are unnaturally thin, their movements erratic and disturbingly quick. Some of their heads burn with a sickly green glow, illuminating twisted features and hollow, skeletal faces.

They look almost as though they are in pain, and judging by the shrieks coming from their throats, they seem eager to share it. The creatures begin closing in, their shrill cries overlapping into a dreadful chorus. Whatever the Fallen were afraid of, you are now standing face-to-face with it.

And Maeve is somewhere beyond them.

Cas and Maeve are dead. Both members of Shaw Han's fireteam have fallen at the hands of a powerful Hive Wizard named Navôta. Whatever began as a routine Vanguard operation has become something far more dangerous, and the Lunar Complex has proven to be much more than an abandoned Golden Age facility.

Back at the camp in The Steppes, Shaw has little time to mourn. The situation demands action, even if the loss of his fireteam is still painfully fresh. "Best way to honor them is to finish the job." He explains what brought his fireteam to the Cosmodrome in the first place: a Superconductor, sealed somewhere within the Lunar Complex. A relic of the Golden Age, its immense energy potential could be repurposed into a weapon. Something the Vanguard desperately needs.

Unfortunately, the facility's power grid is dangerously unstable. Its electrical systems are feeding an overload of Arc energy throughout the complex, and the situation is only getting worse. "There's a dormant communications array connected to the facility's power grid," Shaw explains, gesturing toward the distant structures. "If we can bring it online, it should draw enough power from the system to stabilize the overload."

Your Ghost projects a schematic of a nearby facility, highlighting two separate locations.

"There's just one problem," Shaw adds. "We need someone at the Array to activate its central terminal, and someone else at the power station to redirect the energy." He crosses his arms, studying the projected layout. "I'll handle the power station. You get to the Array and find the central terminal. Once you're connected, I'll be able to reroute the power from my end."

He pauses, unsure if he's allowed to be a leader after letting his fireteam die. "There's still a Hive Wizard out there. Navôta. And after what happened to Cas and Maeve, I'm not particularly eager to send another Guardian into that complex." His expression hardens. "I won't lose anyone else today." Nevertheless, the operation has to continue. The Superconductor remains inaccessible, the facility is dangerously unstable, and the Hive are still occupying the complex.

The journey back into the Lunar Complex feels considerably different this time.

The abandoned facility is still filled with the distant sounds of the Hive, but the immediate resistance seems to have thinned. Its ancient corridors remain dark, illuminated only by your Ghost's blue eye and the occasional flicker of unstable Arc energy.

"This is a Golden Age facility, lost during the Collapse hundreds of years ago," your Ghost explains, its eye scanning the surrounding machinery. "Humanity must have used this place to maintain its communications network. It's amazing that parts of it are still functioning after all this time."

As you approach the electrical surge blocking the previous passage, the Ghost pauses to examine it. "If Shaw's right, activating the Array should stabilize the power grid and stop this Arc energy from overloading. Let's hope the old equipment is still in working order."

The route continues beyond the damaged passage, eventually leading toward the Terrestrial Complex, past Skywatch. Though something has changed. The Hive presence is noticeably weaker in this section of the facility. Their scattered positions and abandoned defensive points suggest that something has drawn their attention elsewhere. Shaw's operation appears to be working: the pressure on the surrounding area has eased, leaving only a few isolated pockets of resistance. There are still Fallen scavengers moving through the ruins, along with Hive stragglers lurking in the darker corridors. Neither seems particularly interested in giving up the territory without a fight.

Eventually, the route leads into a chamber filled with old computer terminals and control equipment. Most of the machinery is covered in dust, its screens dark and lifeless. "There!" your Ghost announces, projecting a waypoint toward a small adjoining room. "That should be the central terminal."

The room is cramped, with old workstations arranged along its walls. A human skeleton sits slumped in an office chair, its remains untouched for centuries. Whatever happened here during the Collapse, its former occupant never made it out.

Your Ghost approaches the main control panel. "All right. Let's see what we're working with." Its shell opens, and a concentrated beam of Light connects with the ancient interface. The terminal flickers, its display struggling to respond before a series of symbols and diagnostic windows begin appearing across the screen. "Accessing systems..." One by one, the monitors illuminate. The soft hum of ancient machinery grows louder as the computer begins restoring its dormant systems.

"Okay," Shaw's voice comes cleanly through your comms, instructing your Ghost on what it needs to do. "You'll need to negotiate between the cryptosystems and verify the security lattice before we can—"

The interface suddenly changes. "Done! Bridge layer restored. Master Array launch queued." Your Ghost pauses. "...Oh. Well, that was easier than expected."

"All right. I'm in position. Rerouting power your way." The terminal responds with a sequence of mechanical sounds as Shaw does his job. Deep within the complex, something begins to move. A low vibration travels through the floor, followed by the distant groan of enormous metal structures shifting after centuries of inactivity.

Your Ghost's eye brightens. "Wait... It's working!" The chamber's lights flicker back to life. Power surges through the ancient infrastructure, illuminating the passageways and sending a cascade of blue-white energy through the facility's dormant systems. "Step outside. You need to see this."

Beyond the complex, the enormous communications structure begins to awaken. Massive mechanical segments slowly unfold, rising and rotating into position. Ancient support structures shift with thunderous metallic groans, while enormous antennae extend toward the sky. Lights ignite along its framework, one after another, until the entire Array stands illuminated against the Cosmodrome's horizon. For the first time in centuries, the Terrestrial Communications Array is operational.

"The Array..." your Ghost whispers, its eye fixed on the colossal structure. "It's operational!"

For a brief moment, everything seems to have gone right. The facility is drawing power, the Array is online, and Shaw's plan has succeeded.

Then the comms crackle. "...No..." Shaw's voice comes through in broken fragments, barely distinguishable beneath the static. "...I've got a large Hive swarm incoming!"

"Shaw? What did you—" The sky splits open. Three enormous rifts tear through the air above the Cosmodrome, their edges twisting with sickly green and black energy. The surrounding atmosphere seems to distort as three colossal vessels emerge from the ruptures. "Hive Tomb Ships!" Your Ghost immediately turns toward the sky. Its eye widens as it scans the approaching vessels.

Their immense, angular silhouettes loom over the Terrestrial Complex, blotting out portions of the sky. Strange green lights pulse across their hulls, while their undersides begin opening to release their cargo.

Shaw's transmission returns, barely audible. "...There's too many for you to handle..." More static prevents a clean comm line. "...I'm on my way—"

The Array's machinery suddenly reaches full output. Its powerful communications signal floods the surrounding area, overwhelming the already unstable transmission channels.

"Oh, no..." Your Ghost turns toward the enormous structure. "The Array's signal is too powerful! It's drowning out our comms!"

The Tomb Ships spread across the sky, surrounding the Terrestrial Complex. Dark silhouettes begin descending from their hulls, trailing clouds of green energy as they approach the ground. Then the bombardment begins. Violent bursts of Void energy rain down upon the surrounding structures, striking the ground and tearing through the remains of the facility. The Hive are deploying in force, and the entire complex is rapidly becoming a battlefield.

Your Ghost turns toward you. "We're on our own." Its shell segments rotate, and the little machine disappears in a flash of blue Light, transmatting to safety.

The Array continues to shine behind you, its enormous structure humming with power. What should have been a triumphant restoration of humanity's communications network has become a beacon announcing your position to an invading Hive force...

That you must face alone.

The battle for the Terrestrial Complex is over. The Hive have retreated before your Light. Their shrill cries and the sounds of combat gradually fade into the distance, leaving behind a battlefield littered with their remains. The bombardment has ceased, and the surviving creatures have withdrawn into the darkness of the Lunar Complex.

The enormous Terrestrial Communications Array remains active above the Cosmodrome, its colossal structure now properly aligned. Its machinery hums steadily, transmitting its signal across the surrounding landscape. For the first time since the Tomb Ships arrived, the comms begin to clear. The interference that had drowned out your transmissions is finally fading. Between the Array's overwhelming signal and the Hive disruption, Shaw's attempts to contact you had been almost entirely useless.

"Damn radio! I'm changing to wideband." Static briefly crackles through your comms before a familiar voice comes through, much clearer than before. "Do you read? {{user}}, you still with me?"

There is a brief pause before your Ghost gets on the comms. "We're alive."

"Oh, thank the Light." Shaw's voice carries an unmistakable sense of relief. Another pause follows. The sound of equipment shifting and hurried footsteps can be heard in the background. "I... I shouldn't have put you in that position. When you dropped off comms, I thought..." He trails off, apparently struggling to find the right words.

"We're alright, Shaw." The battlefield around you is gradually falling quiet. The last remaining Hive are retreating, leaving the Terrestrial Complex under your control. "Did it work? Is the power grid stable?"

"Checking..." Shaw's voice is followed by the faint sound of a terminal being operated on his end. "Ah! Looks like it. Power levels are dropping across the grid. The overload is stabilizing." His voice sounds considerably more relieved.

"Just need to unlock the chamber, and we can finish this." There is another pause, longer this time. "Listen. Get back to camp before Navôta makes another appearance. We don't know where that Wizard is, and I don't want you caught out in the open if she comes back."

Shaw has a point. The Hive assault has been repelled, but it was never led by Navôta herself. The Wizard is still somewhere within the Cosmodrome, and the surviving Hive will undoubtedly carry word of what happened at the complex. The threat has not been eliminated. It has merely withdrawn.

The journey back to The Steppes is considerably quieter than the last time you crossed the Cosmodrome. The distant sounds of combat have subsided, and the open landscape is once again dominated by the wind passing through rusted structures and abandoned machinery.

The camp comes into view beyond the ruins, but something is different. Shaw Han is nowhere to be seen. The small encampment appears almost deserted, save for the equipment and supplies left behind. Near the center sits a chest with a small terminal mounted on its surface. Its display is still active, waiting for someone to interact with it.

"That's strange..." Your Ghost floats closer, examining the terminal. "Shaw should be here. Maybe he left us something?"

The chest opens, revealing an Engram. Your Ghost scans its contents, and its eye brightens. "Oh! A Sparrow!" The Engram contains a Wayfarer Delta, a Rare model of Sparrow. These single-occupant thrust bikes are designed for terrestrial exploration, capable of traversing rough terrain at considerable speeds. Its compact frame and durable construction make it particularly suited to the broken roads and uneven landscapes of Old Russia. "Well, that's certainly useful. We could use a way to get around this place faster."

The Ghost turns toward the terminal. "But what's this?" The screen displays a recorded message. Shaw must have left it shortly before departing.

The recording activates. "Hey. Sorry to do this to you, but..." Shaw appears on the screen, looking somewhat uncomfortable. His armor is worn from the recent fighting, and his expression is more serious than usual. "I'm headed for the Superconductor. I'm running this part solo." He pauses, looking away from the recording device for a moment.

"We've had enough Guardians die today. Cas and Maeve... I can't afford to lose anyone else." His expression softens slightly. "The City needs new blood like you. Guardians who still have their whole lives ahead of them. Gotta keep you safe." He gives a small, somewhat forced smile.

"Besides, before you think about doing something reckless, there's only one access key for that chamber, and I've got it on me." He adjusts his equipment, preparing to leave. "If I make it out, I look forward to working with you again. If not..." For a moment, he falls silent.

"I left you a Sparrow. Take it and get out of here. Get to the Last City. You've done more than enough for one day." He looks directly into the recording device. "Shaw Han. Over and out." The terminal goes dark.

Your Ghost remains hovering beside the chest, its eye fixed on the now-empty display. "How could he do this...?" Its voice carries a mixture of frustration and concern. "Navôta is still out there. She's already killed two Guardians, and now Shaw is going after her alone."

The little machine turns toward the distant Lunar Complex. "This is bad. Really bad."

For a moment, the camp falls silent. Beyond its perimeter, the Cosmodrome stretches toward the horizon. The enormous wall separates the familiar ruins of the launch facilities from the rest of Old Russia, while a wide river winds through the landscape below. The distant structures of the Golden Age stand beneath an open sky, their silhouettes barely distinguishable against the fading light.

And yet, something feels out of place. At the edge of The Steppes, overlooking the river and the distant wall, there is a strange sensation. Not a transmission. Not the familiar presence of your Ghost. Something else. Something is calling.

It does not come from the surrounding machinery, nor from any of the signals your Ghost has been scanning. There is no identifiable source, no recognizable voice or direction from which it might originate.

Your Ghost turns its eye toward the horizon. "Guardian? Is something wrong?" The sensation grows stronger.

For a brief moment, the sounds of the Cosmodrome seem to fade away. The wind, the distant machinery and even your Ghost's voice become increasingly distant, as though the entire world is slowly slipping out of reach. Then the surroundings change.

The familiar landscape of Old Russia disappears. The rusted structures and open sky give way to the interior of the Lunar Complex. The same abandoned Golden Age facility, but no longer as it appeared before. The chamber is dark, its walls barely visible beyond the faintest traces of light. There are no distant gunshots, no electrical surges and no shrieking Hive.

There is no Ghost. No Shaw Han. Only the darkness.

And something, somewhere within it, is still calling to you.

Your Light surges.

The vision ends. Or perhaps it was never a vision to begin with. The Mothyards and Shriekers and Hive disappear; the familiar landscape of the Cosmodrome returns. You are once again at the edge of The Steppes, overlooking the enormous wall and the river that separates the Cosmodrome's launch facilities from the rest of Old Russia.

The wind passes through the abandoned structures. The distant hum of the Terrestrial Communications Array is still audible, its massive silhouette standing against the sky. For a moment, everything appears unchanged.

"Guardian?" Your Ghost materializes beside you, its blue eye scanning the surroundings before turning toward you. "Are you all right? You seemed... somewhere else for a moment."

It pauses, apparently waiting for a response, but the situation at hand soon draws its attention elsewhere. "Right. Shaw." Its shell segments rotate as it accesses the information gathered during the operation.

"Shaw said he took the only access key, but he didn't search the entire Cosmodrome. I've been looking through his archived location data." The Ghost projects a holographic map of Old Russia. A marker appears along the coastline, far from the current position. "Here. The Forgotten Shore. I went there and..."

Several lines of data appear around the marker. "We've gathered enough code fragments from the Fallen salvage terminals to generate a new authorization. It should be enough to bypass the chamber's security system without Shaw's key." Its eye flickers as it attempts another scan. "I still can't reach him. No response on any of the available channels."

The Ghost turns toward the distant Lunar Complex. "We need to hurry."

The return journey takes you through the familiar ruins of Old Russia. The Cosmodrome is no longer as quiet as it was when the operation began. Fallen and Hive forces have begun fighting over the territory, their skirmishes spreading across the abandoned infrastructure.

Fallen Dregs scramble between rusted vehicles, firing their weapons toward the approaching Hive. Shanks dart overhead, their weapons illuminating the air with bursts of energy. In return, the Hive advance relentlessly, their shrill cries echoing through the wreckage as they overwhelm isolated Fallen positions.

Occasionally, the sounds of gunfire are interrupted by the piercing shrieks of Thralls or the heavy discharge of Acolyte weaponry.

"Well, that's not good..." Your Ghost hovers above a nearby piece of debris, observing the fighting. "The Fallen and the Hive are both trying to hold this territory. I suppose neither side is particularly happy about having the other around."

Its eye follows a group of Hive moving through the ruins. "Let's avoid getting caught between them. We have someone to find." Eventually, the familiar entrance to the Lunar Complex comes into view.

The passage beyond the damaged wall is no longer obstructed by the violent Arc energy surge. The electrical discharges that once filled the corridor have completely vanished, leaving behind only the occasional flicker of dormant machinery. "Looks like the power grid is finally stabilizing. Shaw's work must have paid off."

Unfortunately, the passage is not entirely unguarded. A pair of Hive creatures stand between the entrance and the interior corridor. One is a Cursed Thrall, its body swollen with unstable green energy. Beside it, an Acolyte watches the passage, its weapon raised. "Contact! Careful with that one!"

The encounter is brief. The creatures are dispatched, their bodies collapsing against the metal floor. The Cursed Thrall's unstable energy dissipates in a final burst of green light. Beyond them, the corridor leads deeper into the complex.

The facility has changed considerably since the last visit. Strange Hive growths cover the walls and ceiling, spreading across the old Golden Age machinery like a fungal infection. Thick strands of web-like material hang from overhead pipes, while patches of dark, organic residue cling to the floor. The familiar architecture is still recognizable beneath the corruption, but the place no longer feels abandoned. Something terrible has claimed it.

The passage ahead is blocked by a ritualistic crystalline formation. Its surface glows with a faint green light, several Hive runes carved into its translucent structure. As you approach, the crystal begins to resonate. The surrounding runes illuminate, and a strange pulse travels through the formation. For a moment, the passage is completely sealed. Then, after you shoot it, the energy begins to recede, and the crystalline obstruction slowly withdraws, leaving the way forward open.

The passage opens into the Superconductor's chamber. The enormous room is filled with ancient machinery, its walls and ceiling partially obscured by Hive growths. Strange crystals protrude from the floor, connected by thin strands of green energy. Hive runes cover the surfaces, glowing faintly as though responding to something deeper within the facility. The chamber feels oppressive.

Your Ghost slows its approach, its shell segments drawing closer to its central body. "This place is brimming with Hive magic..." Its voice is quieter than usual.

There is a faint shudder in its movements, almost imperceptible. Through the connection between you, its unease becomes strangely familiar. The chamber seems to press against the Light itself, making the little machine's glow appear weaker than it should. "That explains why transmatting was blocked..."

It scans the runes and crystalline formations. "There's something else. The Hive magic here is interfering with our connection to the Light. I can still channel it, but..." The Ghost falls silent for a moment. "If you fall here, I might not be able to bring you back."

The implication is unmistakable. This is no ordinary Hive infestation. Whatever ritual or power has been established within the chamber is strong enough to interfere with a Guardian's connection to the Traveler. Your Ghost turns toward the far end of the room. There, beyond a series of ancient support structures, a shimmering blue energy barrier blocks access to the Superconductor's terminal. Its surface pulses steadily, concealing the machinery behind it. "There's the Superconductor. But that barrier..."

Before the Ghost can finish its scan, a sound reverberates through the chamber. A screeching chant. It begins as a distant, distorted whisper, then grows louder, echoing through the walls and resonating somewhere far deeper than the room itself. The sound is accompanied by a strange vibration that seems to crawl through the surrounding machinery.

One of the Hive runes suddenly ignites. Its green light intensifies, growing brighter and brighter until the entire chamber is bathed in an eerie glow. The surrounding shadows twist as something begins to emerge from the darkness. Then you see her. A Hive Wizard floats above the floor, her silhouette concealed beneath layers of tattered robes. Strange ornaments and ritualistic markings adorn her body, while a sickly green glow emanates from beneath her eyes. Her presence radiates the same oppressive Hive magic that permeates the chamber.

Your Ghost immediately recognizes her. "Navôta!" The Wizard's shriek echoes through the room as your Ghost's shell opens briefly before the little machine disappears in a flash of blue Light, transmatting out of sight. "Eyes up, Guardian!"

Navôta's movements are unsteady. Her body appears damaged, and the green energy surrounding her flickers intermittently. There are signs of a recent struggle across her armor, and her movements lack the confidence of an opponent at full strength. She has been fighting. Perhaps Shaw managed to wound her before reaching the chamber. Perhaps the Wizard herself has been forced to retreat and recover. But she is still here, and Shaw Han is nowhere to be seen.

The Superconductor remains sealed behind its shimmering blue barrier. The chamber is saturated with Hive magic, your connection to the Light is weakened, and the creature responsible for the deaths of two Guardians now stands between you and the objective.

The hunt is not over yet, Guardian...

Begin your exciting story in the Cosmodrome here. Enjoy!