[url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/257167457/0/0]Link to Chapter 1, Part 2[/url] [spoiler]All chapters of the War of Lies will be linked to the [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/257167399/0/0]Table of Contents[/url] as they are posted every Monday[/spoiler] “Ava-3,” I bowed slightly to show respect. “At ease, captain,” our leader waved her metal hand in a calming manner, “Are you aware of the problem that the Syndicate faces?” “Only rumors of attacks on our operations, sir,” I answered. I stayed tense; I was surrounded by the commanders and operants that filled the bridge of our command ship, and was speaking with the woman in charge of it all. “Not attacks,” she shook her mechanical head, colored deep red, then began tapping her fingers on her command chair, making a series of ringing thumps as she explained, “Our resource gathering operations and some of our intel scouting teams have been running into many groups of the same purposes. None of these groups have shown any awareness of our presence beforehand, just as we have had none of theirs, but each encounter results in a fight. Due to the sudden frequency in these encounters, we have committed resources to researching them.” “That’s why my scout team was relocated?” I questioned, and received a nod. “We have found that these groups are all affiliated with an organization that calls themselves the Reef Mob,” Ava detailed, “They are exactly as they sound: a group of criminals based in the Reef. Not unlike the factions that reside in the Tangled Shore.” “You wish to commit my crew to infiltrate and destroy this Mob?” I guessed. “On the contrary,” Ava stopped her tapping, “Their leader, under the name Seren Cay, sent an encrypted message that our beacons picked up. She has also taken notice to us and has called for negotiations. Seren herself will be present to ensure the interests of the Reef Mob are represented. “I replied with a message stating that I myself would meet her. Of course, I would not actually negotiate with such filth as the Reef Mob, so here is our ploy. I understand that your crew specifically has an excellent track record of quick elimination of threats and that your helmsman is an Exo like myself?” “You are correct, sir,” I nodded briskly. “She will serve as my double, and you and a few of your best men will act as her guard during negotiations,” she ordered, “When you deem the timing is right, you will assassinate Seren and the others at the peace talk, then the rest of your crew will eliminate whatever forces she brought with her. After that, we will locate the core of the Mob in the Reef and pick off whatever is left of their leadership.” “It will be done,” I vowed. “The Syndicate will not ally with criminals and be cheated. We will not share or be blocked from our objectives by them,” she stated strongly for the whole crew to hear, “They are slavers, slaves, thieves, and mercenaries, captain, all led by a handful of merchants. They are nothing to us but strays that come and steal our food while we have our heads turned.” “I couldn’t agree more, sir,” I replied sincerely. “Go, brief your crew and prepare your ship,” she waved her hand commandingly, staring at me with calculating blue lights for eyes, “Tomorrow the Syndicate will declare to the entire solar system what is ours.” • • • That conversation ran through my head as we stood in a large tent set up by the Mob. Estefa, my helmsman, sat in a quality wooden chair at a small table with me at her side. We had recolored her formerly white ‘skin’ to a deep red to match Ava’s color, and our leader had delivered a set of ceremonial Syndicate armor for her to wear. Two Mob guards stood across the tent at its second entrance, wearing full armor unlike any of the Mob members that had been in the reports. Behind me, two of my own men guarded our entrance to the tent. Outside, several more men from both sides waited where they could all see each other and get to the tent quickly if something happened. But a ways beyond that, hidden in the foliage of one of Earth’s small forests, my entire crew was prepared for a swift assault with snipers and stealth specialists spreading in a ring around us. A sweep had picked up a few small teams of enemy forces waiting in the woods, suggesting that the Mob was probably planning something similar to what we were. We would act first, and we would act better. The pathetic force in the forest would be eliminated at the exact moment we killed Seren. This had been the agreed upon location because even the Fallen didn’t turn up here much, and I truly appreciated the natural advantage it gave to someone with a ploy like ours. Estefa had been nervous, of course, but it was easy for an Exo to pull a poker face and she was doing a good job of maintaining an assertive air in that seat. She always seemed to feel in control in a chair; it was a habit of hers to try bossing even me around while we were in the ship. A rustle and the opposite entrance flapping open announced the arrival of the other party. A middle-aged Awoken woman in a billowy dress entered, her eyes the average glowing blue and her hair black, and another armored Mob man came in with her. These mobsters were all surprisingly wearing high quality armor, but none of them matched while the uniform red and grey of the Syndicate clearly marked us as a single force. As they entered, their guards ran sensors over them to make sure they weren’t armed or equipped with any other technology. One of my men went over with our own sensors, and after the man removed his helmet they were clear to pass and my man went back to his post. None of us inside had any weapons, earpieces, or anything else of the manner. Luckily, I had picked up a trick for my crew specifically that we had used countless times in radio blackouts. Tucked in my armor was a small whistle that made a high buzzing noise. It was a simple bar of metal, so was unfindable amongst my armor using a detector and also didn’t set off the tech sensors. When it was time, I would blow the whistle and my men would move instantly. “Ava-3,” Seren greeted as she sat across the table, “Leader of the Syndicate.” My eyes narrowed. She wasn’t supposed to know our organization’s identity, much less that of our leader. I guess the possibility of this was why Ava had ordered the double be a female Exo like her. “Seren Cay, Baroness of 6 Demeter, Queen of the Reef Mob,” Estefa replied courteously. “I understand that we’ve had a few little incidents of late,” Seren began smoothly. “Yes,” Estefa nodded, probably going over her dialogue examples in her head, “You have been excavating for resources much as we have, and I hope we can come to some agreement over the dividing or sharing of these valuables.” “I had hoped for the same,” the woman smiled warmly, “Perhaps we can even come to a partnership. Now, I would like to begin by explaining that the Reef Mob is…” She went on about the functions of the Mob as a hidden market system that was open to interactions with any race or individual, but I was done listening. This was going very smoothly. So smoothly that I feared they had snuck in some weapon or that a slight bump in the road would cause a sudden outburst that would make the plan more difficult to accomplish. A shame, really, that neither side was actually interested in these negotiations. Snapping my hand up suddenly, I slid my whistle up from my armor and pressed it to my lips just as Seren’s guards started moving at me. The quiet but far-reaching hum sprang out as I blew into the whistle, but I kept pumping air through it even as I slugged Seren’s main man across the face. Our guard pairs smashed into each other as I kicked my opponent down onto his back. Estefa shoved the table into Seren’s stomach and then slid over it, dragging the Mob leader to the ground and strangling her. I stomped on my rival’s neck and turned to see my men wrapping up with their problems. Gunfire rang outside for only a few more moments before all was quiet. I watched with satisfaction as Seren writhed under my helmsman, struggling for air that could not pass through Estefa’s metal grasp. After half a minute she stopped squirming and passed out, but only after crushing the throat for good measure did Estefa let go. “Maybe I should reassign you to a stealth squad,” I grinned at her as she stood and straightened the formal armor that Ava had given her. “Take me off my ship and you’re the next person I do that to,” she threatened, pointing at the dead woman. “Noted,” I chuckled, then caught my helmet when one of my men tossed it. Pushing my way out of the tent, I took in the dead Mob men and my men tending two of our own dead, then slipped my helmet on. “Target eliminated. Report.” [spoiler]Ava-3 is the leader of the [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/226647634/0/0]Syndicate[/url] and an original character by Karl Marx Seren Cay is the head of the [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/218618986/0/0]Reef Mob[/url] and an original character created by Azidamadjida[/spoiler] [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/257213032/0/0]Link to Chapter 2, Part 2[/url]