[spoiler]Looking for a different chapter? Here's the [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/205901906/0/0]Master Post.[/url][/spoiler]"Amanda," Validus said, snapping the young woman's attention to him as he approached her, "I need a ship." Amanda regarded him with a concerned look. "And you actually have Glimmer this time?" "I do." Validus affirmed with a nod of his head. Amanda held out a datapad to the Titan. "Here's what I have available for you. Any of these suit your fancy?" Validus nodded and pointed at one of the icons on the screen. "Alright," the shipwright said, taking back the tablet. "I'll have it prepped and ready for you in a few." / Blue and orange light swirled around Validus' new Phaeton as he sat in the cockpit, guiding the ship towards the jungle planet of Venus. On either side of his ship were two others: Cosmo's Regulus and Avesk's Kestrel, both brand new. Behind his right shoulder, floated Validus' Ghost, staring eagerly at the view-screen, which projected the swirling expanse of space as they warped faster than the speed of light. "You look excited, Ghost." Validus commented. "Oh, I am!" The Ghost chirped, "I've never been to Venus before. Now, not only do I get to see the planet with my own eye, but we even get to explore the fabled Ishtar Archives. They're said to contain many lost secrets of the Golden Age! I can't wait for this!" The Ghost twirled its shell in excitement. Validus chuckled at his partner's enthusiasm. Up ahead, a warm glow could be seen up ahead at the end of the tunnel of light. With a jerk, the ship pulled out of warp speed, and the planet came into view. Bits of green and orange peeked out from under the pale yellow atmosphere of the planet. The ships slowly descended through the clouds towards their destination. Vines and greenery slowly wound their way up the abandoned buildings that were perched on the rocky shore, slowly being eroded away by the orange ocean below. Nearby, a blocky structure towered into the sky, like a twisted mechanical tree. Fireteam Ashen landed at a clearing that branched off into two different paths. One headed off in the direction of the massive blocky structure. The other led towards the ruined buildings. "Records say that the Ishtar Archives were deep underground in the center of the campus. We should find a way inside." Avesk commanded. The three got out their Sparrow bikes and sped off down the path. Part way through their journey, a new voice came to life over the comms. "The Ishtar Collectibe gathered some of the greatest minds of the Golden Age." It was the Tower Cryptarch, Master Rahool. "Their archive is a treasure of knowledge that we cannot lose to the Fallen. Secure the archive and the Cryptarchs will be in your debt." "Does this mean that you'll stop turning my legendary engrams into rare gear, you blue bastard?" Avesk returned. Validus raised an eyebrow. "Hmph, no response." Avesk grumbled. The rest of the trip was made in silence. Eventually, they came upon the first big building. The faded logo of the Ishtar Collective was perched above the doorway, and a stone statue stood outside the building. "This looks to be the place." Avesk said as they dismounted their Sparrows and stepped inside. The group walked through what looked to be an old maintenance tunnel. They stepped out into a massive library. It was a large shaped room lined with bookshelves all around, extending up to the ruined ceiling. In the center was another statue like the one outside. The floor was littered with metal bodies and appendages. "What in the world?" Validus wondered aloud. "Vex." Avesk answered as he stepped up to examine one of the bodies. "Burn damage. This is the Fallen's work. They must have just came through here. That means they might not have made it inside yet." They hurried through looping hallways of the building until they stumbled into the Ishtar Commons. What looked like it had once been a pleasant park was now a torn up warzone. And old Fallen Skiff was burrowed into the ground, with its tail end sticking skywards. Forces of Fallen and Vex battled for dominance over the mutilated ground. "According to old maps, the Archive is this way." Avesk said as he cleared a path to the adjacent building. Fallen foot prints led through a broken doorway inside the building. "This door's been cut through." Avesk said. "They must [i]really[/i] want what's inside." They followed a long grassy corridor deeper into the building. Eventually, it opened up into another courtyard marked by a large circular building on the left. The path curved around through the vegetation and rubble to another bulking. The courtyard was crawling with Fallen. "Great, the Fallen have already set up shop here." Validus' Ghost complained. "Let's hope they haven't gotten into the archive." The team powered their way through the forces of the Fallen, eliminating the Vandals and Servitor that led them. Avesk dusted his hands off and stepped inside the building marked with the Ishtar Academy logo. "It should be right through here." He said. A large restricted sign hung from the lobby of the building. "I'm guessing this is it." Validus ventured. His Ghost appeared above his shoulder glancing at the massive closed doors. "Yeah," The Ghost said in wonder, "the archive. Secrets of the Golden Age - untouched for centuries." "How do we get in?" Avesk asked. Validus Ghost spun its parts. "Leave that to me." He glided up to a computer terminal at the front desk and began shooting a beam of light into it. A moment later, the giant door began to slide open as it's two halves retracted into the walls. "I can't wait to explore this place! Think of all the things we can learn." "Easy, Ghost. You'll get you chance to learn in just a moment." Validus replied as the three Guardians stepped down into the archive. From behind the rubble and mess of the courtyard, four glowing eyes peered out at the retreating figures of the Guardians.[quote]Chapter continued in the [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/226870596/0/0/1]comments[/url][/quote]