Destiny: Lore

Cabal Encounter with the Vex

Today, Primus Taaun leads from the front.

He pounds from bunker to bunker, roaring encouragement. Youre my cornerstone! he tells a wounded Centurion, grabbing her by her armored shoulders. Bear the weight!

He gets back up, into the fight. Come on! Tluurn snaps at him, running along behind Taaun and saying all the cruel things his commander cant. You dont need two arms to fight!

He calls for fire support. Artillery shrieks overhead. On the plains below the Cabal perimeter, Vex march out of the lightning. Torch hammers burst up like mortars and Taaun and his bond brother duck behind a burning Interceptor for cover.

This is going well, Tluurn rumbles.

A Vex particle beam needles a little hole through the Centurions helmet. He falls dead. Goblins swarm over her bunker and then the Goliath tank supporting this bastion fires a main gun round into the mess, killing the Vex, the bunker, and all the Legionaries inside. The concussion knocks Tluurn against his Primus.

About as well as expected, Taaun grunts. Tluurn laughs.

The grind is eternal. Like duty. Taaun keeps fighting, out here past the edge of the Empire, because failure is unthinkable. Defeats much worse than death.

But Taaun is so, so tired.

Tluurn gets up and starts shooting Vex. Youre not really going to do it. Even though hes fully armored, and only a meter away, his voice on the com crashes with static. Youre not going to go. Its mad.

The Vex Hobgoblins start firing at Tluurn.

Particle beams scream and spark off his enormous bulk. Taaun yanks him back to cover. A maniple of Phalanx troops rush forward to plug the gap. I have my orders. Our report went all the way up, and the decision came all the way back.

Valus Tluurns blank helmet swivels to stare. You mean — ?

It came from the Emperor Himself. Taaun can feel the pressure gel pumping against his skin, keeping him insulated from this deadly world, keeping him alive. Im ordered to board and capture the Hive flagship. At any cost.

A Vex Minotaur blinks up behind the Phalanx line. Primus Taauns armor paints the target and he absolutely unloads, putting all his fear and anger and sorrow into the wretched machine. He roars and roars. The Minotaur burns.

His soldiers cheer.

Thats a job for an elite unit. Not a few scout legions bogged down in attrition war. We should wait until —

Its the mission Ive been given. I will use what I have.

Mutiny, Tluurn whispers. You should mutiny.

Oh, to mutiny. To be like Valus Trauug, who took his Broken Legion against the Reef — and failed, failed utterly.

Duty is victory. Mutiny is worse than death. Even if death seems certain.

No, Taaun says. And thats that.

The Vex are falling back. Together, theyve held the line.