Editing Skyburners

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

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

|deployed= [[Mercury]] <br> [[Phobos]] <br> [[Dreadnaught]]

|war= [[Vanguard]] <br> [[Virgo Prohibition]] <br> [[Blood of Oryx]] <br> [[Taken]]

|ally= [[Dust Giants]] <br> [[Siege Dancers]] <br> [[Ice Reapers]]

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 (strike)|Cerberus Vae III]] and [[Dust Palace (strike)|Dust Palace]] [[Strike]]s. The Skyburners play a larger role in ''[[The Taken King]]'' expansion.

===Early campaigns===

Initially, the Skyburners were fought sparingly, only found guarding high-value Cabal Commanders, such as the elite [[Ice Reapers]] dispatched to the [[Dust Palace]] to hunt down [[Rasputin]].{{citation needed}} [[Valus Ta'aurc]] himself even used Skyburner soldiers as his personal guard until his assassination in the attack to the [[Cerberus Vae III]].<ref>'''Bungie (2014/9/9)''', ''[[Destiny]] - [[Cerberus Vae III (strike)|Cerberus Vae III]]''</ref> In both cases, however, the deployed Skyburners suffered total casualties.

As a Scout Legion, the Skyburners once sent an expedition to [[Mercury]] on the site of [[Vertigo]], but later went missing due to unknown mysterious circumstances, with only their ships, weaponry, and supplies left intact at the location.<ref name="Vertigo">'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]] -  [[Grimoire:Activities/Crucible Arenas|Crucible Arenas]]: [[Grimoire:Activities/Crucible Arenas#Vertigo|Vertigo]]''</ref> Skyburner forces could also be found on the [[Shining Sands]] [[Sparrow Racing League|SRL]] track, although it is unclear if they were survivors of the Vertigo expedition team or a separate force.

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

When [[Oryx, the Taken King|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]] - [[Ghost Scans]]: [[Ghost scan#Phobos|PHO-FBK-6]]''</ref><ref name="TCW">'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]] - [[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]] - [[Grimoire:Enemies/Cabal|Cabal]]: [[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 [[Valus Mau'ual|bond]] [[Valus Tlu'urn|brothers]] to board the Dreadnaught and kill the Taken King, by any means necessary.<ref name="GFC3">'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]] - [[Grimoire:Enemies/Cabal|Cabal]]: [[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 (Aircraft)|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 ignoring his duty would be worse than death and refused.<ref name="GFC3"/>

===Battle of the Dreadnaught===

[[File:Grimoire V5.3 1.jpg|thumb|300px|The Skyburners crashing the Dantalion Exodus VI into the Dreadnaught.]]

{{quote|It came from the Emperor Himself. I'm ordered to board and capture the Hive flagship. At any cost.|Primus Ta'aun}}

After the calamity of the [[Battle of Saturn]], the Skyburners crashed their warship, [[Dantalion Exodus VI]], into the Dreadnaught's hull and engaged in a protracted war of attrition deep behind enemy lines against the [[Hive]]. By establishing a beachhead, the Cabal were able to move deeper into the Dreadnaught and soon learned that Oryx could only be reached through a portal they called a "Rupture". Primus Ta'aun decided to lead a team to the coordinates. As the Primus pushed near the portal entrance, his team was assaulted by Oryx's forces, as well as flanked by a [[The Guardian|Guardian]], and the Primus himself was Taken.<ref>'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]] - [[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]] - [[Grimoire:Enemies/The Taken|The Taken]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies/The Taken#Primus Ta'aun|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 Guardian, freeing him of the Taken King's control.<ref>'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]] - [[Regicide]]''</ref>

The Skyburners Legion continued to fight a hopeless war of survival aboard the Dreadnaught, all in the name of the mission that their Emperor placed upon them. 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, whose final fate was unknown to them, the Brothers' plan of destruction would be powerful 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 the explosives before they could detonate. Reaching the core, the Guardians faced off against both brothers, who were determined to finish their mission and avenge their Primus. Despite their firepower and formidable tag teamwork, the Guardians prevailed against the Valuses and saved the System.<ref>'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]] - [[Shield Brothers]]''</ref>

The Guardians also disposed of their champion [[Valus Tau'ugh]], who coordinated the defenses of the legion's wreckage. In desperation, the remaining Skyburners 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 had already been received by the Cabal Empire.<ref>'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]] - [[Outbound Signal]]''</ref>

Thanks to the information in this signal, the Cabal would develop a [[Traveler Cage|weapon]] that could suppress the [[The Traveler|Traveler]]'s [[Light]]. The Dominus himself would lead his [[Red Legion]] into the system, starting the [[Red War]] with an advantage thanks to the Skyburner's efforts. While severely diminished, the legion survived long enough to see Ghaul and his troops arrive in the system. What became of them is unknown, but they considered their survival "victory enough."<ref>'''Bungie (2017/9/6)''', ''[[Destiny 2]] - Item Description: [[Skyburner's Oath#Lore|Skyburner's Oath]]''</ref>

Skyburners can be identified by their teal and red armor. The legion's 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.

 

*'''[[Ta'aun, Hand of Oryx|Primus Ta'aun]]''' <small>(formerly)</small>

==Unique forces==

Fleetbase.gif|Skyburner Fleetbase under Taken attack

*The Skyburners were the Cabal Legion that abandoned the Vertigo [[Crucible]] map, as their logos can be seen around the area.

{{Enemy factions}}

[[Category:Cabal legions]]