AN: I spent way too long on this chapter for some reason. Malachi's Void aesthetic is at the bottom!

Tanis IV bounced back and forth, stretching his fingers in sheer excitement. His mind raced with sheer possibilities and wonder for Golden Age technology. All three ghosts scanned the system and maneuvered passed firewalls to reactivate the orbital defense system. Dinklebot whispered things in Tanis' mind. Data from the company, system information on how the tech worked, and so on.

The mining colony they were in had been abandoned for a while. Smells of spilled oils, rust, and a certain scent from the rocky landscape mixed together in the air. Malachi leaned against the wall, flipping his pocketknife while watching the ghosts work their magic. Alaura patrolled the entrance back and forth, restlessly surveying the area.

The ground shook for a moment, and a loud noise vibrated off the walls. A few generators stirred and woke up from their slumber to start pumping out power again. Macey twirled her blue shell and projected, "The orbital system is back online."

"Thank you, ghosts. Maybe this place can become a safe haven one day..." Alaura trailed off. She let her arms fall, allowing the tip of her weapon scrape against the ground for a second. She peered over at Jarvis and reached out towards him, beckoning him to come back. He bobbed happily, rubbing against her hand before he dematerialized into her armor. Having him close comforted Alaura.

Malachi picked up on his teammate's hopefulness, even though he couldn't see her expression. Macey around Malachi's head and stayed in place over his shoulder like a guardian angel. He put the knife back in his pocket and walked towards the entrance.

"The nest isn't far from here," Dinklebot reported simply. The guardians exited the building onto the moon's landscape.

The Earth's moon had changed when the Traveler arrived. A gravity similar to Earth's had set in the atmosphere, disappointing the guardians greatly. Mimicking the first moon landing would've been a fun activity. The small colony was the only thing present on the moon for miles on end. The rocky landscape was rough and gray, everything that the guardians expected on their trip here.

After a few minutes, they managed to find the location of the nest. The guardians knelt down inside of a crater, staring at the newly built Hive temple entrance below. Malachi took out his sniper rifle, setting it against the ground to steady it. He closed one eye and zoomed in on the temple. Two knights patrolled around the entrance, listening to the environment around them for any movements. He set the gun down and reported, "Two knights. We can take them easily."

Dinklebot spoke up, "There shouldn't be many more inside."

"Are you kidding? They've built a temple entrance already. Who knows how many of them are down there," Alaura pointed out. She stood up and peered back in the direction they came. "Without knowing the area, it becomes twice as dangerous. There are too many unknown variables. We should go. Tanis said we'd only survey. If more come, they'll be taken out."

"You're giving up? Unbelievable," Tanis scoffed. He looked over at his teammates and motioned different things in a helpless fashion. He yearned to express his dissatisfaction accordingly, but failed to come up with how. "I trust Dinklebot. We can take them out and learn from what's left behind."

Malachi locked the sniper rifle in place on his back as he processed Tanis' words. He grimaced, a tinge of pain forming in his chest. "So, what? You don't trust us?"

"I never stated that."

"It sure sounds like it," the Hunter replied bitterly. His brain hinted at not wanting to feel attached to anything. Returning to my old state of life might do me some good... Being emotionless is so much better than experiencing pain... No. Stop.

Tanis shook his head. "Hive can teleport into anywhere they desire. Yes, they'll be shot down if they're in the air. In there, those troops are trapped. But if they dig the tunnel large enough to teleport in a tomb ship? It's game over. They'll infest this place."

Tanis turned back to the temple in contemplation. Even with the orbital defense grid, the future state of the moon was at stake here. Why not just take them out now?

We need to take them out. If Alaura won't come, so be it.

As if she's going to accept that, Dinklebot. Tanis nearly rolled his eyes. He could hear Malachi and Alaura discussing the situation, but he was so lost in the depths of his own mind processes to comprehend what they were saying specifically.

Dinklebot hummed for a moment before replying in Tanis' mind. She doesn't have to.

"Let's go." Alaura's command broke Tanis out of his private conversation.

He turned around, almost resolute in his decision. A small portion of his mind attempted to talk him out of it, but his body pushed on as if it were second nature to do this. Tanis walked up behind the guardians heading towards the ship and quickly wrapped his arm around Alaura's neck, forcing her into a chokehold.

The Titan stumbled backwards, confused for the first few seconds on what was really going on. She forcefully turned her head towards Tanis, and attempted to throw him down onto the ground. The Warlock's senses kicked in and countered her attack, forcing her into a position where she couldn't move. Alaura struggled, her blue face turning red as she gasped for air.

By that time, Malachi noticed, whipped around, and went to her aid. He grabbed onto Tanis' arm and pulled the other way, but the arm was locked in position. "Tanis! Buddy!" The Hunter swept his leg against Tanis', but the Exo hardly budged. Malachi's mind buzzed with ideas, but by then, Alaura had fallen silent. "What the hell is wrong with you? One second, you're worried about her, and the next you're choking her out?" Malachi put his hand close to his hand cannon in case Tanis had lost his mind.

Tanis IV carefully set Alaura onto the ground, the rocks crunched and scratched against her armor. He stared down at her for a moment before glancing at his own two hands. "I..." he slowly flipped his hands back and forth as he trailed off. Buddy? Who does he think he is calling me that? They're liars! Liars! Tanis screamed in his mind. His right hand clenched into a fist as he peered up at his teammate with a new sense of determination. "Dinklebot was right. She doesn't need to come with us. We have to take the Hive out ourselves, Malachi."

Malachi stepped closer, his hand still hovering near the holster of his weapon. His brown eyes narrowed and stared Tanis down, searching for any movements resembling regret. Tanis stood stiffly; reading a robot certainly wouldn't give away clues. Malachi nodded towards Tanis, "And did Dinklebot tell you to do this?"

"W-what? No. No." Tanis pushed his finger against his chest plate. "I did this on my own accord. Now, are you in, or not? I'm going with or without you."

Malachi's stomach churned. This kid was so innocent when we first met. What happened? He grimaced at the memory and lowered his gaze. We ripped his identity from him. His memory is gone. That's why. Even if Tanis' action was bad, his reasoning had some truth, and there was no way in hell he was going to let him go alone. "I'm in. But just so you know, she's going to kill you when she wakes up."

"I know. I had to do it. Alaura would only hold us back."

The Hunter glimpsed longingly at Alaura as she lay on the ground. His brain shut off his emotions to think objectively. "She's safer out here. You're right." Malachi looked at Tanis, pointing his finger at him as he declared sternly, "If you tell Alaura I said that, I'll deny it." He paused, then continued, "Jarvis, can you...phase her, or something, into the ship?"

Jarvis grumbled to himself and talked with the other two ghosts telepathically. Dinklebot fought back while Macey listened in on what was happening. Jarvis transmatted his guardian back into her ship for safety.

"Let's go before she wakes up," Tanis said as he hopped up out of the crater. Malachi grabbed his gun and peered at his teammate warily, yet followed him anyway.

The two guardians jumped into the air. Malachi double jumped, giving himself enough time to throw a knife at one of the knights. The knife laded in the side of its flat crowned head. Bullets rained down on the Hive guards, causing them to scream out in their guttural voices. Malachi winced when he crashed onto the ground, still not used to jumping that high. Tanis glided to the ground gracefully as the last knight crumbled. The two exchanged a glance before stepping foot into the temple.

The first large area was carved out presumably by hand. Sharp ridges and bulbous rock chunks clung to the wall. The foul stench of hot, one week old road kill filled Malachi's nostrils, causing him to gag for a second. Macey and Dinklebot lit up the area with their flashlights, revealing bones hidden within the darkest corners. The darkness seemed heavy in the room, sending the guardians a horrible feeling. Their hands coiled around their primary weapons.

Macey flew around and scanned the place with a bright blue grid. She communicated with Dinklebot telepathically, allowing him to create a response to their guardians, "The scan runs deep into the moon. The Hive must've gotten here earlier than what the reports say."

Malachi pondered the report for a moment. Maybe we should head back. This whole event slowly got worse, and Pandora's box would open soon enough if they kept going. Macey read his mind; she rapidly bobbed up and down to indicate her agreement. "This isn't a good idea, Tanis."

Bitterness filled Tanis' voice, "Then leave. I'll meet you guys back at The Traveler." He moved the bottom of his robe out of the way so he wouldn't trip and surged forward. Nothing would stop him from his mission. To learn from such creatures who could pass between dimensions seemed like a dream. Learning about The Traveler's technology and how the light lived through everything fascinated him even more. This wasn't just an annihilation of the Hive mission. Tanis was on the hunt for knowledge.

Malachi cursed under his breath as he followed Tanis further down into the temple. They ventured through one narrow tunnel after another. Slowly, but surely, a small stench of rotting flesh wafted through the air. The further they went down into the cavern, the stronger the smell became. Malachi grimaced and twitched his nose. I wish I could turn my sense of smell off. Jesus.

The deeper they walked, the more detached from the Light Tanis felt. The Light within him strained to keep up within The Darkness, becoming confined into a tight box within his chest. He flinched at the pressure building up; he glanced at Dinklebot for a quick second. If our connection to the Light was shut off, the ghosts would fall lifeless...right? Or are they just robots with special abilities? Tanis shook his head and marched forward with confidence. Don't answer that, Dinklebot.

A crunching noise pervaded the air, causing Tanis to motion for Malachi to stop. He stepped into the next large area, glancing around in the dark. He moved silently, like a ninja in the night, to see what was going on. He moved closer to the right side, closing in on what appeared to be a pile of bones. Thrall were on their hands and knees, gnawing on the bones like a pack of wolves.

Malachi rested a hand on Tanis' shoulder, a hand cannon equipped in his other. He tipped the gun forward, aiming it at one of the thrall. Tanis nodded and followed suit, focusing in on his scout rifle's scope. Shots rang out, slaughtering the thrall before they could even stand. More erupted from the other side of the pile, but couldn't get close enough to do any damage. Bullets lodged themselves in the thrall's heads, making them crumble into tiny ash-like flecks.

"You and I make a great team, Tanis," Malachi commented, smirking to himself. He reloaded his hand cannon and flipped the chamber.

Tanis nodded, still peeved about the whole memory situation. He moved forward, leaving Malachi questioning what was wrong. Tanis put a new clip into his weapon, clicking it into place. The Light constricted in his chest even tighter, making him beckon air into his non-existing lungs. He clutched onto his weapon and pushed on, knowing that if he put his mind to something, the pain would eventually wear off.

Darkness hung heavy in the next tunnel. It was so thick that the ghost's flashlight barely revealed what was in front of them. Malachi placed his hand along the wall to make sure he wouldn't step out into the unknown. His Light coiled into a knot, but he forced the pain out with his mind. "Tanis-"

"Shh...do you hear that?" Tanis cut him off and listened to the environment. "There's something at the end."

Famous last words, as Malachi would say.

The Darkness lifted once the guardians exited the tunnel, revealing at least a hundred members of the Hive. They knelt before a towering glowing being. The being's head formed a giant crown on the top, jutting above and beyond that of a regular knight's. Sharp plates were placed on its shoulders, and its whole skeletal armor glowed green. It held a massive sword made of what appeared to be sharpened bone. Its three eyes locked onto the two guardians, menacing and full of power.

"Crota..." Tanis whispered to himself in disbelief. He stared up at the Hive God, eyes wide in fear and wonder. "The Eater of Hope. This is what Jarvis was talking about!" Regret and fear swirled up in his circuits as he slowly backed away.

Dinklebot flew around, accidentally flashing Tanis in the face with the flashlight. He worriedly stressed, "You two need to get out of here. Now! We were unprepared for Omnigul. This? This is a thousand times worse." He mumbled to himself, "I was wrong to bring you two down here..."

The two guardians turned around, only to see an army of Hive spawning in. Wizards, knights, acolytes, thrall...They were surrounded and confined in a room of death with a powerful god.

Static scratched Alaura's ears, echoing off of the walls of her helmet. Bits and pieces of yelling and signals were thrown about; there was too much interference to get a full picture of what was happening. Alaura's fingers clawed at the ground as she gathered her bearings, her eyesight disoriented and watery. A cough burst from deep within her chest, causing her neck to tingle from the soreness.

Jarvis scanned his guardian with a blue beam, twirling his black shell as he did. His blue eye stared at her in content. "Scans say you're well...which is a relief."

"How-" Alaura's voice came out scratchy, causing her to flinch. She cleared her throat to the best of her ability. "How far into the temple are they?"

"...Pretty far. It isn't safe down there for you, Alaura."

She stared down at her assault rifle; her eyebrows knit together slowly as she contemplated. She was still healing, but if her team was in danger, it didn't matter. She refrained herself from sighing and acknowledged, "I know, but I can't just leave them down there."

Jarvis teleported her from the ship to the temple entrance. He tried to contact the other ghosts, but nothing except static came back. "You cannot run towards danger and expect to be all right. You are going to do this, but how is this tactically advantageous for you?"

"It isn't until I see what we're up against." The yelling over comms got louder, and quickly cut out. Alaura broke out into a sprint into the temple, making sure she didn't trip on anything.

Jarvis lit up the dark area with his light. He replied rather sarcastically, "From the sound of it, it's one difficult party."

Worry built up in Alaura's system. She put her weapon up, ready for any oncoming attack. "And you're trusting them to get back in one piece?"

The ghost strained his British accent in disbelief, "Is this really a question? Do you trust them to do that?"

"I-" Alaura paused in hesitation. Thoughts sped through her mind like cars on a highway. There were too many possibilities for fatal crashes. She continued, "I'm not going to take that risk."

The screaming and yelling over comms became louder as she got closer through the narrow tunnels. All of it motivated Alaura to move as fast as she could. One second could mean the difference between life and death.

Oh, how precious life was.

The chaotic yelling became crystal clear as she neared the giant room. Tanis panicked and called out for help. Thrall screeched, and the booms of knight's ammunition were in the background. A few wizards screamed, their magic blasts echoing through the room. Tanis yelled out for Dinklebot to aid him in teleporting. Malachi beckoned Tanis to join him.

When the dark veil in the air dropped, Alaura's heart sank.

Tanis squealed and cried out in sheer pain. Crota's sword forced its way through the guardian's metal chest. Oil spilled out and onto the sword, drenching the Hive God's hand. Crota's bright green beady eyes watched as Tanis' life faded away, and a grin settled on the creature's face. It threw Tanis' body aside, allowing the exo's body to fall lifeless onto the ground.