Editing Skyburners

|Commander(s)= [[Primus Ta'aun]] <br> [[Valus Tlu'urn]] <br> [[Valus Mau'ual]] <br> [[Valus Tau'ugh]]

|Keep(s)= [[Fleetbase Korus]] <br> [[Dantalion Exodus VI]]

|deployed= [[Vertigo]], [[Mercury]] <br> [[Phobos]], [[Mars]] <br> [[Dreadnaught]], [[Saturn]]

The '''Skyburners''' are the "celestial demolitions" fleet of the [[Cabal]] legions on Mars.

They are mainly based around [[Phobos]], with limited deployment on [[Mars]]. In the base game, they are only encountered during the final phase of the [[Cerberus Vae III]] and [[Dust Palace]] strikes. The Skyburners play a larger role in ''[[The Taken King]]'' expansion.

===Early Campaigns===

Initially the Skyburners are fought sparingly in the base game, only found guarding high value Cabal Commanders. When [[Valus Ta'aurc]]Ta'aurc dispatches the elite [[Ice Reapers]] to hunt down [[Rasputin]], the Skyburners accompany them as well. The Valus himself even used Skyburner soldiers as his personal guard until his assassination. In both cases however the Skyburners suffer total casualties.

[[File:CabalTaken.gif|thumb|300px|right|A Skyburner getting Taken]]

When Oryx began blighting the system, the Skyburners were the first Cabal units to encounter the [[Taken]] after noticing strange activity. Shortly after, huge numbers of Skyburners were taken and made to fight their comrades forcing Legion commander, [[Primus Ta'aun]] to order a mass evacuation.<ref>'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]] Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Ghost Scans]]: DNT-DE6-1</ref><ref>'''Bungie (2015-9-15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]], PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[The Coming War]]''</ref>

Ta'aun then sent a report written by his intelligence officers on the ineffectiveness of conventional Cabal forces against the [[Guardian]]s, and suggested that the technology aboard Oryx's [[Dreadnaught]] might be co-opted by the Cabal to nullify Guardian [[Ghost]] regeneration.<ref>'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]] Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies/Cabal#Ghost_Fragment:_Cabal_4|Ghost Fragment: Cabal 4]]''</ref> He also delivered reports of the massive casualties suffered [[Dust Giants]], [[Blind Legion]], and [[Sand Eaters]] Legions on [[Mars]]. This prompted the Cabal [[Dominus Ghaul|Emperor]] himself to order Primus Ta'aun and his [[Shield Brothers|bond brothers]] to board the Dreadnaught and kill [[Oryx, the Taken King]], by any means necessary.<ref name="GFC3">'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]] Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies/Cabal#Ghost_Fragment:_Cabal_3|Ghost Fragment: Cabal 3]]''</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YClPCoRGeL8 '''Youtube''': Destiny The Taken King Reveal Livestream Tower Tour]</ref>  

Shortly after receiving those orders, Ta'aun commanded the defense of one of the Cabal frontlines on [[Mars]] alongside one of his bond brothers, [[Valus Tlu'urn]]. Together they went from bunker to bunker to motivate their soldiers and call artillery fire upon the advancing [[Vex]]. As they took cover behind a destroyed [[Interceptor]] and fired upon their foes, Tlu'urn questioned if Ta'aun intended to follow through on his orders, arguing it was madness and suicide. As he pulled his bond brother out of the line of fire of several [[Hobgoblin]]s and back into cover, Ta'aun revealed to him that Ghaul himself had approved the order, shocking Tlu'urn. As a [[Minotaur]] breached their lines, Ta'aun unloaded his [[Heavy Slug Thrower|weapon]] onto it, screaming a war cry as he poured out his fears and concerns over the upcoming mission. As his legionnaires cheered the machine's destruction, Tlu'urn noted that they were only scouting legions and did not have the numbers for such a mission before suggesting that they mutiny. Although the prospect of doing so appealed to Ta'aun, he felt that refusing his duty would be worse than death and refused.<ref name="GFC3"/>

After the calamity of the [[Battle of Saturn]], they crashed their warship, [[Dantalion Exodus VI]], into the Dreadnaught's hull, and protracted a war of attrition deep behind enemy line against the [[Hive]]. By establishing a beachhead the Skyburners were able to move deeper into the Dreadnaught and soon learned that Oryx could only be reached through a portal called a Rupture. Led by Primus Ta'aun, he sent a team to the coordinates. As the Primus pushed near the portal entrance only to be assaulted by the Taken and be Taken himself.<ref>'''Bungie (2015-9-15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]], PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Enemy of My Enemy]]''</ref>

The [[Darkness]] spoke to Ta'aun during the Taking process, declaring that he was free now of his duties and noting that his code and valor had not been enough. It offered him a "knife" to cut away his bonds of duty and love to stand on his own.<ref>'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]] Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies/The_Taken#Primus_Ta.27aun|Primus Ta'aun]]''</ref> Now transformed into a Hand of Oryx, Ta'aun was paired with another Hand, the [[Taken Ogre]] [[Baxx, Hand of Oryx|Baxx]], and placed by Oryx to guard the Rupture that led to him. Later Ta'aun was slain by the Guardians, freeing him of the Taken King's control.<ref>'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]], Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Regicide]]''</ref>

The Skyburners Legion continued to fight a hopeless war of survival aboard the Dreadnaught, all in the name of their mission that their Emperor placed upon them. The fate of Ta'aun was unknown to his Bond Brothers. Growing desperate, Ta'aun's chief lieutenants and Bond Brothers, [[Valus Mau'ual]] and [[Valus Tlu'urn]], launched an extreme plan to destroy the Hive and Taken by placing explosives on the Dreadnaught's power core. Whether to force the Hive into submission or to retrieve their lost Primus, the Brothers plan of destruction would be strong enough to create a blast capable of wiping out half the Solar System. Wishing to avoid this, the Guardians formed a strike team to disable to explosives before they could detonate. Reaching into the core, the Guardians face off against both of the brothers who were determined to finish their mission and avenge their Primus. Despite their fire power and formidable tag teamwork, the Guardians prevailed against the Valus's and saved the System.<ref>'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]], Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Shield Brothers]]''</ref>

The Guardians also disposed of their champion [[Valus Tau'ugh]]. The remaining Skyburners in desperation sent a distress call directed to the head of the Cabal Empire, [[Dominus Ghaul]], to inform him of their casualties and findings. Although the Guardians intercepted the signal, the message was received by the Cabal Empire.<ref>'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]], Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [https://www.ishtar-collective.net/transcripts/outbound-signal Outbound Signal]''</ref>

Years later, the Cabal would ultimately answer the signal, leading to the beginning of the [[Red War]]. While severely diminished, the Skyburners survived long enough to see [[Ghaul]] arrive in the system. What became of them is unknown, but they considered their survival "victory enough."<ref>'''Bungie (2017/9/6)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard,[[Skyburner's Oath]]</ref>

They can be identified by their teal and red armor. Their most unique feature is the crest on their helmets. They also possess the unique Psion Burner units which feature red armor and a curved spike on their helmets.

*'''[[Primus Ta'aun]]''' <small>(formerly)</small>

==Unique Forces==

 

== Gallery ==

Phobos Cabal transport ship by Dorje Bellbrook.jpg|Concept art of the Skyburner base

SinkentoFleetbase.gif|Skyburner Fleetbase under Taken attack

D1Vertigo.jpg|Vertigo abandoned by the Skyburners

 

File:Legionary (Sb).jpg|A Skyburners [[Legionary]].

File:Phalanx (Sb).jpg|A Skyburners [[Phalanx]].

File:Psion (Sb).jpg|A Skyburners [[Psion]].

{{Enemy Factions}}

[[Category:Cabal Detachments]]