Pidge was out as well, checking over Crow and healing her up as she caught her breath.

"I have no idea, what the hell was that thing that stepped from the portal? It looked like taken, but it was a person..." She murmured, glancing up at her ghost.

"Anything else inbound or are we in the clear for now?" She asked, he gave a little shake, like he was shaking his head.

"Nothing on my scanners, I think we're okay... What're we gonna do with him?"

Andoran looked over Emrys. Still alive, but unconscious. Andoran knelt down and examined him. He couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. He turned to look at Iris. She looked back and then hovered closer to Emrys. She started scanning his body.

"hmmm..." she said.

"That's not a good sign," Andoran replied.

"I don't know," she admitted. "That thing was taken. Maybe he needs more light?"

Andoran and Iris looked to Crow and Pidge to see if they could think of anything.

Crow pulled her helmet back off and crouched down to his level. She studied him for a moment and Pidge scanned him, and eventually she simply reached out and gave him an nudge on the shoulder.

"Hey, new guy. You dead or what?" She asked bluntly, trying to shake him awake.

Andoran stood up, "let me see if a rift can help." He waved his hands and light shot out from him and onto the ground, forming a circle of light. Iris then shot a beam of light at Emrys's heart hoping for the best.

Crow hummed thoughtfully, standing back up from her crouch as she folded her arms and watched him.

"Guy shouldn't have bolted off by himself when the fighting started, honestly. He's lucky all that happened was that he got knocked out." She commented as Pidge floated up and rested on her shoulder

"You're right," said Andoran while pondering over what that thing was.

Iris looked at him. "What is it?"

"I'm trying to figure out what that thing was. I only caught glimpses of it. Taken, but humanoid. I haven't heard of many humans, exos or awoken being taken. This is definitely new."

"You've just declared a new mission for yourself, haven't you?" asked Iris, already knowing the answer.

Titania came into veiw shakily hovered to the rift. Feeling the light of the rift fill him Emrys' body she then felt the connection to him again and filled herself back up with light. "We are sorry. We only tried to cover a strategic position instead of grouping together. Emrys used to be a scientist and was taught to be a tactician after the war started. Atleast that's one of the fragments in his mind." She then blinked away and Emrys' eyes fluttered open.

He lay there having a flash back of that thing then sat up as if nothing had happened. One of the lower arms hung limply where he had fallen on it but the other was fine. He stowed it and picked up the other as Titania flew back out and started to repair it with his and the rifts help. "Thank you cousin." He said to the awoken. "And thank you as well." He said as he looked at the exo. "Well I think all this heroism calls for my to introduce myself. I'm Emrys-23 and this is Titania." He said as he summoned Titania. She dipped lightly at her introduction. "That thing that attacked me might be coming back so I think getting to that tower might be a good move." He pointed to the watchtower and waited to see what they would say.

Crow looked down at Emrys with a raised brow, at least what would be a brow on her exoskeletal face.

"What? That defunct old spire? Ain't nothing in there but ruins and scorn." She said "And besides, I've got a very important little data piece with a high price tag on it that I need to deliver."

Pidge fluttered nervously by her, nudging close to her audio receptors "But Crow, they're right about that thing... we can't deal with it alone if it comes back, plus all of the Scorn that are running wild around here..."

Crow looked over at him, annoyed with the fact that he was probably right.

"But you know how grouchy Cratix is when I take too long, and he seemed very concerned about this intel." She murmured back

Andoran looked at the Watchtower. His eyes narrowed. He felt a pull to it. Something just below the surface, that if he tried to really feel it, it would slip away. There was something there. Something dark, and yet, inside of all of that dark, there was some light.

Iris burst into his field of vision and snapped him out of his thoughts. She twisted the front part of her shell. Andoran gave a nod and looked back at Emrys and Crow. "I also need to head to Petra, or at least radio to her about the scorn. We should go to your contact, Crow, see if he knows anything. Then I can radio in to Petra about the scorn. She might give us more intel or resources and then we can head to that watchtower." He then focused on Emrys. "Cousin? Were you an awoken?"

It seemed that if Emrys wanted to be safe and find out more about what was going on he should stick with these two.

"I shall accompany you as well then. Also did you say Petra? The Queen's wrath is around?" He shifted then stood up. Titania popped out then and started to repair the rest of him. "And yes I used to be an Awoken. I went to Mars when the Taken war started after fighting for the Queen. I became infected with something and in an effort to save my own life I found the exo plans and tried to transfer my consciousness too this altered exo body. What happened during and immediately after I don't remember." His lower arm clicked back into place then is stowed itself away. "Ah much better. Now the question is; Who has transportation?" He asked lightly.

"Oh! Oh! Our ship has an extra seat!" Pidge exclaimed, and Crow looked to him with a frustrated, exasperated look, causing Pidge to blink his optic as he realized what he blurted out and looked bashful. Crow gave him a narrow eyed, your-a-little-shit look before huffing and grabbing him to tuck affectionately to the crook of her neck where he settled in happily.

"Yeah, I have a two seater ship... I assume you got here on your own functioning ship, fancy pants." She said, directing the comment to Andoran.

"Yes, I have my own ship," Andoran answered. "And yes Petra is still around. Somewhere. More than likely trying to keep the Reef from falling apart." He nodded to Iris who sent commands to the ship. As it flew over to where the group was, Andoran began poking around the corpses of the Scorn. Iris followed close him, almost nestled on his shoulder. After a moment, he began moving their weapons and two of each kind of scorn, minus the chieftain and abomination, with his mind. He lined them up perfectly, and in a flash of blue light, they weapons and corpses were transmatted away. He looked back to the others, "Shall we get going?"

Emrys smirked, or whatever passed as one for a smirk for an exo, as the ghost announced details about the ship's seats. Then he watched as the Awoken transmatted the items. He would need to inspect those weapons eventually.

Titania scanned Emrys one last time then disappeared. "Well then let's get going shall we? I mean unless we wanna stick around for reinforcements?" He said as suddenly he heard the cry of something sinister off in the distance. He then bent down and grabbed some dirt. Siftting it through his fingers he analyzed the sample and under his breath he said, "Sample is good. Soil showed traces of the corruption but not the aether. It has to be it." In his mind Titania whispered, "You believe me now don't you? That thing...was you." He frowned and waited to be transmatted to the ship.

Crow called down the ship, walking close by to Emrys for transmat up.

"Just don't touch anything, yeah?" She said to him just as they were pulled up and reappeared in the ship's cockpit.

"Alright, next stop, Nessus." She murmured, flipping a few things on and taking the controls to fly them into orbit and towards the Vex-infested Centaur. She glanced over her shoulder at the other exo, still perplexed by him.

"So you really remember everything about your life before you became an exo, huh?" She asked

"We have two of quite a few of their weapons and each type that we fought. Minus the ones that exploded," said Iris.

"Good, give one set to Petra and the other to Ikora. They'll both want to study them further." Andoran fiddled with some controls and patched into Crow's ship. He heard her ask Emrys about his other life. "And you remember from before being resurrected? You have many lives. Before being Awoken, before being an exo..."

Emrys looked around then thought a second after being warned then asked questions. "Yeah I remember most things. I'm guessing that's not typical of an Exo or a Guardian I take it? I used to be an Awoken serving under the queen and her witches" saying the last word with a bit of distaste. "I study Earth sciences and technologies before and after the fall. I use those to improve and make new advancements for Awoken. Before the city fell I was infected but as I was going back to get my things and study the corruption of the taken first hand the city was sealed. I didn't know what else to do. I went to Mars to learn about the Exos. I found secret plans in the old facility and built a modified exo body to transfer all my memories and being into. Something went wrong and I must have gone dark. From what I can tell afterwards Titania saved me from the creature and brought me back as a guardian. Maybe my memories were still stored and then sorta back into my mind after I was brought back. All speculation right now. Anyhow I'm here now and it seems we might have a job on our hands.

---At the door to the Dreaming City---

"Oh the gate is locked but I have the key. I'm smart enough to see. Knock once knock thrice then light and dark show the way. Open only a crack to slip in and out. Careful now don't let the big bad dragon out." Reaper said in a sing song voice he slipped in city. Once inside he opened a slip in space and walked through to a laboratory. "Oh you will never retrieve these things but just in case I probably should burn them." With that he raised his hand and from it jets of black flame spewed onto the research. Cackling he kept it up then slipped back outside on to the grounds. Just then he heard a voice.

"Who trespasses in the city of dreams? I will destroy any fool who dares!" Riven spoke directly into his mind.

"Oh voice in my head show yourself. I am not here by chance but by circumstance. I used to live here you see. You feel familiar perhaps the Queen's pet? Well well I don't believe we have ever met. Something else takes me back. Could it be that Oryx turned you black?" He smirked on no direction and waited.

"Annoying creature but you could be useful. You are indeed powerful. I have a plan and something I must enact. Come and we shall discuss your part then I might grant you a wish."

"A wish you say? With secrets and part to play? This sounds so fun and it show you my story has only begun." With that he opened another slip and off he went to speak with Riven.

Crow listened quietly, something akin to envy on her face as he recounted his memories. She could hardly remember her life before Pidge found her, let alone all the way before she became an exo. It was fleeting and vague, like trying to catch smoke.

"We're approaching Nessus, and I figure I should tell you before we get there but my contact is a very... sensitive subject. If you know what's good for you, don't be disrespectful, and you will say nothing of his existence to anyone associated with the Vanguard." She said seriously "He's gonna be unhappy as it is that I have extras with me, so just... be cool."

The ship gave a small jolt as they slipped out of jump speed, and Nessus' brilliant surface loomed into view as they coasted down.

"Oh, and don't stare. At any of it."

Andoran stared at the Leviathan as they made their way down to Nessus. He always wondered where Calus got his powers. Yet another mystery to be solved, some day. Andoran's eyes trailed from the Leviathan, following the pieces of Nessus being swallowed by the gigantic beast. Yet another Vex planet being devoured by Cabal. Whether it was Red Legion or Loyalists, they were always hungry for more planets. He broke his gaze and turned to Iris as she spun her front shell. She turned to look up at Andoran.

"The scans of those dead fallen and their weapons is almost complete," she told him.

"Good. Do you have the secure channels ready?" he asked.

"Yes. You did hear what Crow said, right? Or did you go off in your head again?"

"Something about being respectful and blah blah blah."

Iris scowled, if she could, but Andoran knew what she was feeling. "You need to take her more seriously. She's a good shot."

"I know, I know. So long as they haven't turned to the Darkness they're not bad."

"Good, we're approaching the coordinates."

As they approached Emrys caught sight of a giant ship that seemed to be devouring the world below. Not taking his eyes off the ship he spoke "So I'm not with anyone so there should be way less of a problem. If anything else just say I came to procure a ship. Which is not entirely a lie. I need one to get around." Titania filled him in on what the thing eating nessus was and wondered what this Calus could do. He knew the Cabal were powerful but this. This exceeded what he thought was in their realm of control. Then again they had tried to take the traveler's light and use it. Then he started thinking something else. What is my purpose? I used to be a scientist but now...Do I fight or continue research? Who for? The Queen is gone and no sign of her brother. He certainly wasn't going to fight for the vanguard. He would have to make his decision soon.

"Well, any scavenging you do is probably going to have to go through Cratix... Well, just be on your best behavior and he might let you scrounge together the parts to get a ship in order." Crow responded to him. They were entering into Nessus' atmosphere now, descending on the vibrant canyons and rock formations. There was something akin to a nervous knot in her stomach, the realization that she was bringing total strangers right to the doorstep of an entity that would be considered a wanted criminal in the eyes of the Vanguard settling in, and she couldn't help but brace for the worst.

"Hey fancy pants, you got a tracking log in that ship of yours?" She asked Andoran over the comm "If so shut it off now, I'll feel a lot better letting you tag along. We're nearly there."