The Coming War

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Prev:	Queen's Ransom
Next:	Cade's Stash
The Coming War
Game:	The Taken King
Player(s):	1-3
Location:	Fleetbase Korus, Phobos
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The Coming War is the first story mission in The Taken King's initial storyline. After receiving a Cabal distress signal originating on Phobos, the Vanguard sends the Guardian to investigate. The Guardian soon discovers the first wave of a new, horrifying threat to the Solar System: the Taken.

Objectives

• Infiltrate the Base
• Investigate the Base
• Survive the Attack
• Escape the Base
• Get to your Ship

Transcript

{Cinematic}

A drawing of the system fades in, briefly panning across a few planets, before drawing the Traveler and the signature graphing lines associated with it.

   GHOST: I was born the moment the Traveler died. As everything collapsed around us. Before that day, there had never been a Ghost. There had never been a Guardian.

The Traveler's drawing enters the Milky Way.

   GHOST: I don't know much about the Traveler. But I know it made me to bring you back. And I spent a really, really long time searching for you.

The Traveler's drawing reaches Earth, and positions itself above it.

   GHOST: The Cosmodrome? Not the first place I looked.

A minimalist depiction of the Traveler releasing the Ghosts begins to draw itself. Many drawings of Ghosts are seen surrounding Earth, with the player's Ghost descending towards the center.

   GHOST: As I saw the other Ghosts find their Guardians, and the centuries went by, I wondered if I'd ever find you. And then... I did.

The drawing of the system fades out entirely, and transitions to Saturn. Several Hive warships can be seen in the planet's rings.

   MARA SOV: I remember...everything about the day I was born.

Ketches re-purposed for the Queen's armada can be seen. Hundreds of Galliots accompany the Awoken fleet.

   MARA SOV: I still bear the scars. The Awoken are my family now.

The camera zooms in on Uldren Sov's Galliot until it cuts to the inside. It then cuts again to a group of Galliots rushing the Hive fleet.

   MARA SOV: And I am their Queen.

An enormous battle begins, as the Hive and the Awoken fight amongst the rings of Saturn. The Galliots begin firing at the Hive warships, causing massive damage. Some of them are destroyed. Suddenly, Uldren notices the Dreadnaught in the center of the smaller ones, and prepares to fire onto it. The heavy weapons fail to even scratch the hull. Uldren looks back in dismay. The camera cuts to a view of the Queen's ship.

   MARA SOV: We fought to keep our beautiful creation safe.

The camera cuts to the inside. Several Techeuns can be seen walking up to the Queen.

   MARA SOV: And now this beast has come, claiming to be King. Mara Sov bows to no one.

The Queen looks back at the Techeuns and nods. As the four of them stand in position, Mara's eyes begin to glow a bright blue, and they flicker, until she closes them. Several wisps of energy form between the Techeuns' outstretched hands, and much larger signature forms outside the Queen's ship. Seven beams of brilliant blue light,Harbingers, form in result of the Coven's efforts, and rush forward. The Queen's ultimate weapon. Mara Sov collapses from overexertion. The Harbingers continue their assault, easily tearing through multiple Hive ships on the way to their true target: The Dreadnaught. Upon slamming into the sides of the flagship, however, the Dreadnaught remains completely undamaged. The Queen walks up to see what has happened. The camera cuts to the side of the Dreadnaught, the energy of the Harbingers harmlessly dissipating. Oryx stands on an exposed balcony of his ship. An immense sword sits by his side.

   MARA SOV: You and I know how this ends.

Oryx walks up a podium, filled with an unknown energy.

   MARA SOV: We've know since you've escaped from that... pit.

Oryx slowly raises his sword over his head then slams it down into the podium, a shockwave spreading through the observation room. A massive superweapon begins to charge outside. As it fires, it creates a devastating blast, wiping out all of the combatants within a massive radius. Both Awoken Galliots, and Oryx's own surviving fleet are given no chance to retreat; the superweapon destroys their ships and kills them all. Mara Sov, witnessing her impending doom, stares on in sorrow, before closing her eyes in resignation. The shockwave effortlessly destroys all of the lead Ketches. Several dozen Galliots are either pushed back, surviving the blast, or destroyed. The camera cuts to the inside of Uldren's cockpit, his face a grimace of effort as he tries to regain control of his ship. As it shakes violently, he starts to scream, and the camera cuts to black. Mara Sov and many other notable members of the Queen's royalty are presumed dead, and Uldren Sov is sent careening back to Mars by sheer force, as his Galliot was shielded. The camera fades into the aftermath; the battlefield has been reduced to a junkyard. Pieces of Hive and Awoken ships are everywhere. Only a single vessel still stands: the Dreadnaught.

   MARA SOV: The Awoken have played their part. This... was all part of the plan.

The camera zooms in on the King, standing on a balcony. He growls, and floats back inside. The camera cuts to the massive hole blown in Saturn's rings.

   MARA SOV: Guide them, my Hidden friend. It is all up to you now.

{Cutscene}

The Guardian's ship enters Phobos and zooms along canyons and cliffs in an attempt to find Fleetbase Korus, the Martian home of the Skyburners.

   COMMANDER ZAVALA: Guardian, this is Commander Zavala. The Cabal base on Phobos is blasting a signal on all channels. If they're willing to break transmission silence, this could be a prelude to a full scale assault.

The ship starts to descend, finding a landing zone for the Guardian

   GHOST: We're setting down on Phobos now.
   ZAVALA: I'll be monitoring your feed, Ghost. Good luck to you both.

The Guardian's ship drops them off at a cliffside in front of Korus.

{Gameplay}

The Guardian walks up the cliff. Several Legionary corpses can be seen. A Harvester rises up, pans it's searchlight over the Guardian, and flies off to join a fleet. One Legionary crawls out of a crevice, wailing in agony. It dies shortly after. Several Cabal soldiers are seen running out of the front of the base. A large explosion rocks the foundation, killing them all. Another Harvester lifts off. It leaves behind several Cabal, which wave after it in a desperate plea for help. They either continue searching for another ship, or spot the Guardian and attack. The area near the launchpad is demolished and burning.

   GHOST: Zavala, the Cabal are evacuating with extreme prejudice. They're getting torn up down here.

Another wailing Legionary crawls out of some debris, and dies. The Ghost scans its corpse.

   GHOST: Skyburners regiment. Dead, obviously. There are no other Guardians down here. I wonder what put them down?

As the Guardian enters the doors blown open by the explosion, Eris' voice is heard on the comms:

   ERIS MORN: Something has drawn us here. I can feel it.
   ZAVALA: Guardian, I have asked Eris Morn to monitor the channel.

The Guardian continues inside. Most of the base is in ruins.

   ERIS: I hear... whispers in the dark.

As the Guardian navigates deeper inside the seemingly deserted base, a small white light floats in front of an open door. The Guardian approaches it, but it makes a loud screeching noise and flees down the hallway.

   ZAVALA: What the hell was that?
   ERIS: Fingertips, on the surface of my mind...!
   ZAVALA: Yes... thank you for your input, Eris.

Upon turning the corner, an eerie sight falls upon the Guardian and Ghost: several voids of nothingness appear in parts of the base, seemingly appearing as black holes, or windows into empty space itself. The Guardian sends the Ghost to investigate:

   GHOST: This membrane is attempting to form a bridge between dimensions, but I think it requires a living host.

The Guardian reaches a staircase, wrapped around a glass elevator shaft. Suddenly, an elevator comes crashing down, and slams onto a ledge, getting stuck between the beams. A lone Legionary is inside, desperately scrambling to escape. It climbs out from a hole in the top, only to be crushed by falling debris, which knocks the elevator car loose, and sends the Legionary to its death. As the Guardian continues walking up the ramps, a Centurion is seen frantically trying to run from something, but a white tether is holding him in place. He is eventually sucked into nothingness, leaving his weapon on the floor. More ruptures appear, scattered throughout the area.

   ERIS: Whispers are louder... I will endure.

Another Centurion is seen running for his life futilely before he is snatched up as well. The Guardian continues forward.

   ERIS: They speak a word... a name.

The Guardian walks into a large, circular room. Suddenly, the room fills with fog, and takes shape.

   ERIS: (fearfully) He... is here!

The fog forms the shape of Oryx, staring directly at the Guardian.

   ORYX: Light! Give your will to me!

A black orb, swarming with energy, appears before the image of Oryx, gradually swelling, until it explodes. Unfamiliar life forms rise from out of the orbs, physically taking the shape of common infantry, but horribly mutated, and with ethereal abilities. The Taken surround the Guardian, and a deformed Knight, Syrok, Word of Oryx, rises and attacks. The Guardian takes them all out.

   ERIS: You have seen His face... it was His hand that transformed the Cabal.
   ZAVALA: This mission is scrubbed—Guardian, get to your ship and get out of there!

A door on the far side of the room opens, and the Guardian finds themselves face to face with more Taken. They continue eliminating this new threat to the galaxy, encountering Cabal and Taken fighting each other along the way. A hologram of the Dreadnaught on the floor grabs the Ghost's attention:

   GHOST: This matches an image I collected from The World's Grave... a Dreadnaught. They don't exist in our system. I'll mark it for transmat to the Vanguard and hope we get a signal.

After the Guardian eliminates all the threats in the area, they find an energy reading machine. The Ghost scans the monitor:

   GHOST: They sent teams to investigate anomalous energy fluctuations across the base... (whispers) none of the units reported back...

Heading further down a hallway, the Guardian finds another machine, with a hologram of Phobos on the screen. The Ghost checks it out:

   GHOST: Cabal mining sites across Mars and Phobos have been hit. Losses to Blind Legion: Thirty-five percent. Losses to Sand Eaters, fifty-eight percent; Dust Giants, thirty-nine percent. What is this?
   ZAVALA: The base is a loss! We have reports of these 'Taken' across the system! Go! Get out!

The Guardian hastily makes their way outside. A large battle is taking place. Ruptures tear the sky apart. An unknown ship crashes into a building near the Guardian and explodes. The Guardian's own ship flies overhead, turning near their position, and hovering to a ledge at a safe distance.

   GHOST: Our ship's landing across the airfield—Hurry!

The Guardian runs across into the neighboring building, either eliminating Taken and Cabal or ignoring them. The Guardian emerges on the other side, near their ship. Taken and Cabal are fighting each other throughout.

   GHOST: We're almost there!

The Guardian fights their way through and eventually makes it to their ship.

{Cutscene}

(The Guardian runs toward their ship, and warps in. The ship immediately turns around and takes off.)

   GHOST: Zavala, we made it to our ship, and are heading home.

The ship spins as it flees Phobos.

Mission ends.

{Cinematic}

The camera fades in and pans down to the Aerodrome, where the Guardian previously escaped. The area is completely silent, and now overrun with Taken. A perspective view shows the members of the Taken--former Centurions, Knights, Psions, and Acolytes--all twitching uncontrollably, against their will. Large black wings come into view. An Echo of Oryx floats over the disfigured victims, surveying the scene. All of them kneel to the floor in reverence. The Echo sneers down at the newly Taken life forms. A Psion demonstrates its ability by splitting into two copies of itself, still kneeling. A Taken Legionary lowers its head. Satisfied, the Echo disappears. The camera cuts to Oryx himself, standing on a balcony outside the Dreadnaught. With his hands resting on his sword, he takes a deep breath. Echtar, Sword of Oryx walks up behind him.

   ECHTAR: Their leaders belong to you. The rest await extermination.
   ORYX: No... Gather them. I will take them all.

The camera cuts to a sweeping view of the Dreadnaught from a distance.

   IKORA REY: My contacts near Saturn say the weapon fired only once.

The scene transitions to a hologram of the ship; now surrounded by the Vanguard. We see the inside of the Hall of Guardians, nearly dark, save for the light of the hologram, placed on a map of the Solar System.

   ZAVALA: It's not like the Queen to attack a superior force...
   IKORA: How could she have known? ...How can anyone? We need a Warlock inside the Dreadnaught.
   CAYDE-6: (derisively) Here we go...
   ZAVALA: Our first priority must be to protect this City! Our Guardian got a good look on Phobos. Whatever it was, it turned Cabal against Cabal, wiped out their base in minutes. How long would we last?
   IKORA: Until we understand what we're dealing with--

A green blur whips through the room and lands squarely on the Dreadnaught hologram, interrupting its projection. The object is revealed to be Eris Morn's orb. The Vanguard stop arguing and face her.

   ERIS: They... are Taken.

Eris walks toward the trio, and Cayde points at her orb.

   CAYDE: Eris... get your rock. Off my map.

Eris continues toward the Vanguard, ignoring Cayde.

   ERIS: It hasn't spoken since Crota fell.

She reaches her hand out toward the orb, which flickers at her actions.

   ERIS: It speaks now, because Oryx has arrived... come to fill the final covenant of his son.

Ikora looks at Eris, confused.

   IKORA: But... why fight the Cabal?
   ERIS: Not fighting... Taking. Controlling their will--

The room glows orange again, and Eris turns to find Cayde nonchalantly lifting the orb off the hologram and glaring at her. She sneers angrily at him. Cayde simply ignores her and plays with her orb like a ball.

   ZAVALA: So we focus on his army... kill these Taken until he's all that's left?
   ERIS: Whatever you kill... Oryx will replace.
   IKORA: The Dreadnaught, then. How do we get past that weapon?
   ZAVALA: Without ending up like the Awoken?

Cayde-6 stops rolling the orb around in his hands, and looks towards the rest of the Vanguard, as if just now paying attention.

   CAYDE: I gotta go, uh.... see about a ship.

He throws the orb towards Eris, who catches it in her hand. As he walks away, Zavala turns towards him angrily.

   ZAVALA: Cayde! Our discussion is not yet concluded!
   CAYDE: (causally) Oh, I know. That's why I'm leaving.

The other members of the Vanguard look on. Eris holds her orb close to her, staring at the mysterious piece inside. Cut to black.