Editing Skirmish on Kepler

{{Conjectural title}}
{{References}}
{{Battle infobox
|prev=[[Dire Emergence]]
|conc=
|next=[[Rise of the Imperium]]
|image=[[File:The Edge of Fate.jpg|350px]]
|conflict=Prophecy Crisis
|date=
|place= [[Kepler]]<br>[[Unknown Space]]
|result=
*The Vanguard learns about the Nine
*Lodi takes Orin's place as the Emissary of the Nine
*III, a member of the Nine tied to Earth's gravity well, is killed by the original iteration of Maya Sundaresh
**The Vanguard learns of the prophecy from III and decides to redact information related to it to avoid hysteria
**Earth begins to suffer from health and environmental problems as a consequence
*The House of Exile on Kepler loses its Archon.
*The Nessian Schism's plan to digitize Unknown Space is halted
*Maya's control over the Echo of Command wanes
|side1=;Humanity
*[[Vanguard]]
*[[Aionian]]s
*[[Ishtar Collective]] copies
|side2=;Fallen
*[[House of Exile]]
|side3=;Vex
*[[Nessian Schism]]
|commanders1=;Vanguard
*[[Ikora Rey]]
*[[Orin]]
*[[Drifter]]
----
;Aionians & Allies
*[[Dean Rebecca]]
*[[The Emeritus]]
*[[Lodi]]
----
;Ishtar Collective copies
*[[Chioma Esi|.50 Chioma Esi]]
*[[Maya Sundaresh|.87 Maya Sundaresh]]
|commanders2=
*[[Archon Levaszk, Prophet of the Giver]]
**[[Giver's Bounty, Exile Prime Servitor]]
**[[Giver's Sentry, Exile Servitor]]
**[[Illaszk, Exile Marauder]]
**[[Kylazk, Exile Machinist]]
|commanders3= 
*[[Maya Sundaresh|The Conductor]] 
**[[Epoptes, Lord of Quanta]]
**[[Iatros, Inward-Turned]]
**[[Agraios, Inherent]]
**[[Koregos, the Worldline]]
|forces1=
*[[Guardian]]s
|forces2=
*Countless Fallen
|forces3=
*Countless Vex
|casual1=*[[Rhys]]
|casual2=*Levaszk
*Thousands of Fallen
|casual3=
*Thousands of Vex
|civilian= Unknown number of unarmed Aionians
}}

The '''Skirmish on Kepler''' is a conflict that occurred on [[Kepler]] between the forces of [[Vanguard]] and various factions which are being tied to [[The Nine|the Nine]], including the [[House of Exile]], and the [[Nessian Schism]].   

==Prelude==
===Origins of the Nine===
The truth about the Nine's origins were debated by [[City Age]] scholars,<ref>'''Bungie (2014/9/9)''', ''[[Destiny]] - [[Grimoire]]:[[Grimoire:Allies|Allies]]/[[Grimoire:Allies/Legends & Mysteries|Legends & Mysteries]], [[Grimoire:Allies/Legends & Mysteries#Ghost Fragment: Legends 2|Ghost Fragment: Legends 2]]''</ref> until findings which shed light into them were conducted through the account of an exiled [[Cryptarch]] named [[Lavinia Garcia Umr Tawil]] in a book titled ''[[Lore:Dust|Dust]]'' and the Vanguard's investigations on [[Kepler]]. The Nine first emerged from the loops of dark matter dust being formed in the gravitational wells of the eight major planets in the Sol System alongside the star the planets revolve around: the Sun aka Sol.<ref>'''Bungie (2019/3/5)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Drifter]] - [[Lore]]:[[Lore:Dust|Dust]], [[Lore:Dust#The Nine|The Nine]]''</ref> The Nine's birth long predated [[The Traveler|the Traveler]]'s arrival into the Sol System and gave them the ability to tap into a 4th dimension, which allowed them to see into the past, present, and future simultaneously.<ref>'''Bungie (2025/7/15)''', ''Destiny 2: [[The Edge of Fate]] - Lore:[[Lore:Epochs & Orbits|Epochs & Orbits]], [[Lore:Epochs & Orbits#The Sun - IX|The Sun - IX]]''</ref> From the moment of birth, the Nine were divided into the Inner Orbits and the Outer Orbits. The Inner Orbits (consisting of I, II, III, IV and IX) sought to transform themselves with the power of paracausality. The Outer Orbits (consisting of V, VI, VII and VIII) sought to escape themselves into a higher order of reality by gathering enough dark matter dust to form a singularity.<ref>'''Bungie (2019/3/5)''', ''Destiny 2: Season of the Drifter - Lore:Dust, [[Lore:Dust#The Witch|The Witch]]''</ref>

The Nine became responsible for various events throughout the history of [[Human|humanity]] including [[Lodi]]'s later selection of becoming their [[Emissary of the Nine|Emissary]],<ref>'''Bungie (2025/7/15)''', ''Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate - [[The Edge of Fate (quest)#Step 12|The Edge of Fate: Step 12]]''</ref> the death of Dr. Nella Davis,<ref>'''Bungie (2025/7/15)''', ''Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate - [[The Edge of Fate (quest)#Step 19|The Edge of Fate: Step 19]]''</ref> etc. The Traveler's arrival would cause further division among the Nine when humanity was bestowed with the Traveler’s bounty.

===Interactions with Guardians===
The Inner Orbits of the Nine later sought the [[Ahamkara]] in their goal of transformation, but the Ahamkara were hunted to near-extinction by [[Guardian]]s in the [[Great Ahamkara Hunt]].<ref>'''Bungie (2019/3/8)''', ''Destiny 2: Season of the Drifter - Lore:Dust, [[Lore:Dust#The Bone|The Bone]]''</ref> In response, the Inner Orbits of the Nine would appoint [[Xûr, Agent of the Nine|Xûr]] to become their 1st Emissary with the intent to make contact with Guardians and study the nature of the [[Light]] they wield.<ref>'''Bungie (2014/9/9)''', ''Destiny - Grimoire:[[Grimoire:Allies|Allies]]/[[Grimoire:Allies/Tower Allies|Tower Allies]], [[Grimoire:Allies/Tower Allies#Agent of the Nine|Agent of the Nine]]''</ref> The Guardians first learned of the Nine when they recovered a copper box which contained a model of the Sol System from the [[Ishtar Sink]] on [[Venus]].<ref>'''Bungie (2014/9/9)''', ''Destiny - Grimoire:[[Grimoire:Places|Places]]/[[Grimoire:Places/Venus|Venus]], [[Grimoire:Places/Venus#Ghost Fragment: Ishtar Sink|Ghost Fragment: Ishtar Sink]]''</ref> The Guardians interact with Xûr, who would sell esoteric wares in exchange for [[Strange Coin]]s. The Nine would become the force responsible for [[Skolas, Kell of Kells|Skolas]]'s release from the [[Prison of Elders]]<ref>'''Bungie (2015/5/19)''', ''Destiny: House of Wolves - Grimoire:Allies/Legends & Mysteries, [[Grimoire:Allies/Legends & Mysteries#Mystery: The Fate of Skolas|Mystery: The Fate of Skolas]]''</ref> and the beginning of the [[Red War]].<ref>'''Bungie (03/06/2019)''', ''Destiny 2: Season of the Drifter - Lore:[[Lore:Stolen Intelligence|Stolen Intelligence]], [[Lore:Stolen Intelligence#Ringer|Ringer]]''</ref>

In their attempt to find a more suitable Emissary, the Inner Orbits of the Nine selected [[Orin]] to replace Xûr, though he would continue his service to the Nine as their Agent. Orin had been known as Nasya Sarwar in her [[Golden Age]] life, then took on the name Nasan Ar when she passed into the singularity which created the [[Distributary]] and subsequently birthed the [[Awoken]],<ref>'''Bungie (2019/3/5)''', ''Destiny 2: Season of the Drifter - Lore:[[Lore:Ecdysis|Ecdysis]], [[Lore:Ecdysis#Seeds and Cuttings|Seeds and Cuttings]]''</ref> and then took on the name Orin after she left the Distributary and then was killed by [[Warlord]]s on [[Earth]].<ref>'''Bungie (2019/3/5)''', ''Destiny 2: Season of the Drifter - Lore:Ecdysis, [[Lore:Ecdysis#Risen|Risen]]''</ref> Orin first became aware of the Nine when she was investigating [[Sjur Eido]]'s death at [[Mara Sov]]'s request. She began to receive strange dreams and visions after her interaction with Xûr which culminated in his injury.<ref>'''Bungie (2019/3/5)''', ''Destiny 2: Season of the Drifter - Lore:Ecdysis, [[Lore:Ecdysis#Debt|Debt]]''</ref> She finally became Emissary after deciding to seek them out in the heliopause.<ref>'''Bungie (2019/3/5)''', ''Destiny 2: Season of the Drifter - Lore:Ecdysis, [[Lore:Ecdysis#Scales|Scales]]''</ref> She became the 2nd Emissary after the Nine caused the satellites to fail to detect the [[Red Legion]]'s arrival on Earth, which leads to the start of the Red War. <ref>'''Bungie (2017/09/08)''', ''Destiny 2 - [[Homecoming]]''</ref> They started the war with the intention of killing [[Gol]].<ref>'''Bungie (2025/7/15)''', ''Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate - [[Sacred Emergence#Step 3|Sacred Emergence: Step 3]]''</ref> After [[Dominus Ghaul]] was defeated, the Guardian finally met Orin as the the Emissary, who was hosting the [[Trials of the Nine]] at [[The Third Spire]], a mysterious tower within [[Unknown Space]].<ref>'''Bungie (2017/8/9)''', ''Destiny 2 - [[Trials of the Nine]]''</ref> They meet Orin once again when [[The Reckoning]] and the [[Invitations of the Nine]] came to be. They were able to gain insight into her past and recovered accounts of Lavinia's investigations into the Nine during that time.<ref>'''Bungie (2017/8/9)''', ''Destiny 2: Season of the Drifter - [[Invitations of the Nine]]''</ref> Orin would secretly bide her time to leave her service to the Nine. She uncovered the origins of the Nine, their desires, and their fears of death.<ref>'''Bungie (2025/5/6)''', ''Destiny 2: Episode: Heresy - Lore:Anamórphōsis, [[Lore:Anamórphōsis#Theomakhía|Theomakhía]]''</ref>

The Nine would also begin to occupy an orbital space station called [[Cocytus]] after its previous owner, [[Crota, Son of Oryx|Crota]] was slain within [[Oversoul Throne|his throne world]] by Guardians. According to a [[The Hidden|Hidden]] report, the Nine were attempting to create life through their experiments on Cocytus. The experiments ended in failure when 2 organisms emerged from the Cocytus gateway and died soon afterwards.<ref>'''Bungie (2019/3/8)''', ''Destiny 2: Season of the Drifter - Lore:Stolen Intelligence, [[Lore:Stolen Intelligence#Cocytus|Cocytus]]''</ref>

===The Echoes' Creation===
The Nine and Orin remained neutral in the conflicts that followed: Guardians discovering a [[Pyramid|vessel]] of the [[Black Fleet]] beneath the [[Moon|Lunar]] surface, the return of the [[The Undying Mind|Undying Mind]], the [[Psion]]s' plots with the Sundial and the [[The Almighty|Almighty]], Guardians wielding [[Darkness]], the formation of the [[The Coalition|Coalition]], the [[The Witness|Witness]]'s return to the Sol System since the [[Collapse]], and the final battle with the Witness within [[The Pale Heart|the Pale Heart]] of the Traveler. Its death and the subsequent creation of the [[Echo (object)|Echo]]es would cause yet another division within the Nine. IV was the only member of the Nine who was absent within the argument regarding the Witness's death.<ref>'''Bungie (2025/03/11)''', ''Destiny 2: Episode: Heresy - Item Description: [[Division#Lore|Division]]''</ref> Meanwhile, 3 Echoes were created in the wake of the Witness's death: the [[Echo of Command]], the [[Echo of Riis]], and the [[Echo of Navigation]].<ref>'''Bungie (2024/06/08)''', ''Destiny 2: [[The Final Shape]] - [[Excision]]''</ref> The Echo of Command landed on [[Nessus]] and fell into the possession of the original iteration of [[Maya Sundaresh]] from the [[Vex Network]], who was going by the moniker of "The Conductor". She was able to escape with the Echo of Command when Guardians confronted her deep within Nessus's core.<ref>'''Bungie (2024/08/27)''', ''Destiny 2: [[Episode: Echoes]] - [[Encore]]''</ref> She has since reflected on her actions of killing the various iterations of [[Chioma Esi]] and made strides to strike a bargain with III when she tasked the [[Vex]] with finding information on the Nine.<ref>'''Bungie (2025/7/19)''', ''Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate - Lore:[[Lore:The Immanent|The Immanent]], [[Lore:The Immanent#VIII. Gloria mundi|VIII. Gloria mundi]]''</ref> The Echo of Riis landed in the [[Reef]] and fell into [[Fikrul, the Fanatic|Fikrul]]'s possession before it was claimed by [[Eramis, Kell of Darkness|Eramis]] after the Guardian killed him using [[Eido]]'s Tonic of Ether Clarification.<ref>'''Bungie (2025/01/07)''', ''Destiny 2: [[Episode: Revenant]] - [[Kell's Fall]]''</ref> The Echo of Navigation landed on the [[Dreadnaught]] and was later destroyed to prevent the [[Hive]] pantheon from claiming the Echo with [[Eris Morn]] and [[Sloane]]'s guidance.<ref>'''Bungie (2025/04/01)''', ''Destiny 2: Episode: Heresy - [[Resile]]''</ref>

The Nine would host the [[Rite of the Nine]] following the Echo of Navigation's destruction. There, the Guardian learned of the writing styles associated with each member of the Nine.<ref>'''Bungie (2025/05/06)''', ''Destiny 2: Episode: Heresy - [[Rite of the Nine]]''</ref> Meanwhile, Orin made a decision to leave her service to the Nine and puts her plans into action.<ref>'''Bungie (2025/5/6)''', ''Destiny 2: Episode: Heresy - Lore:Anamórphōsis, [[Lore:Anamórphōsis#Khrēsmoí|Khrēsmoí]]''</ref><ref>'''Bungie (2025/5/6)''', ''Destiny 2: Episode: Heresy - Lore:Anamórphōsis, [[Lore:Anamórphōsis#Katasterismós|Katasterismós]]''</ref> She was able to leave despite the Nine's attempts to stop her.<ref>'''Bungie (2025/07/15)''', ''Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate - Item Description: [[Enneachord#Lore|Enneachord]]''</ref> She makes her way to Kepler, where III speaks through Orin and begins to send out an invitation to Guardian to travel to Kepler to hear its message.<ref>'''Bungie (2025/7/15)''', ''Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate - [[Mission: The Invitation]]''</ref>  Afterwards, the Inner Orbits of the Nine begin their plan to appoint Lodi to replace Orin and become the 3rd Emissary.<ref>'''Bungie (2025/7/15)''', ''Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate - [[Vessel of the Nine]]''</ref>

===Lodi's Origins===
Lodi was known as Louis Yero and born in Lodi, Wisconsin in the Space Age era. He served in an unknown war before he employed as a linguist at the [[Department of External Observation]], a United States task force was responsible for investigating extraterrestrial anomalies on Earth.<ref>'''Bungie (2025/7/15)''', ''Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate - Item Description: [[Moirai#Lore|Moirai]]''</ref><ref>'''[[Timelost DEO Documents]]''', ''[[Timelost DEO Documents#01|01]]''</ref> He would meet a colleague named Dr. Nella Davis, who was a mathematician working on Project Graviton and experienced strange dreams and visions during his employment at the DEO.<ref>'''Timelost DEO Documents''', ''[[Timelost DEO Documents#09|09]]''</ref><ref>'''Timelost DEO Documents''', ''[[Timelost DEO Documents#10|10]]''</ref><ref>'''Timelost DEO Documents''', ''[[Timelost DEO Documents#11|11]]''</ref> After bumping into her because she was in a hurry, Louis would enter a containment room which contained a strange phone of unknown origin and answered it when it rang, pulling him forward in time into the City Age following the Witness's death.<ref>'''Bungie (2025/07/15)''', ''Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate - Item Description: [[Graviton Spike#Lore|Graviton Spike]]''</ref> He would arrive on Kepler and receive care from a scientific organization setting on the planetoid: the [[Aionian|AION Initiative]]. He began recording a series of messages calling for help. One of Lodi's messages was retrieved from the [[Anomaly (Vesper)|Anomaly]] on [[Vesper Station]] and intercepted by [[Astraea]].<ref>'''Bungie (2024/10/11)''', ''Destiny 2: Episode: Revenant - [[Vesper's Host]]''</ref>

==History==
The next stage in III's plan to send an invitation involved a train. It emerged out of nowhere while [[Ikora Rey]] and the Hidden were investigating dark matter anomalies on Earth and the train nearly killed her. She discovered an aster within the train and uncover the coordinates for Kepler, which she sends to the Guardian. Upon their arrival on Kepler, they encounter the [[Eliksni]] belonging to the [[House of Exile]], which was led by an [[Archon]] named [[Archon Levaszk, Prophet of the Giver|Levaszk]]. He believed in achieving the Grand Design, which is achieved through the worship of III, known within the house as the Giver. The Nine began reaching out to them through visions and distorted sound waves. They would meet up with Lodi upon recovering a [[Strangelet Capsule]] from [[Vessel of the Archon|Vessels of the Archon]]. They learn that in order to receive III's message, they must pass through the singularity safely, which required the Guardian to recover more Strangelet Capsules across Kepler. In the process, they learn more information on the Nine, the culture of the AION Initiative and the Aionians who work for it, and Lodi's journey to become the latest Emissary of the Nine.

After they recover enough of the Strangelet Capsules, they meet up with Lodi and Orin as the Nine begins their council to discuss two issues: the Guardian being bestowed the title of Weapon and Lodi becoming an Emissary. Though the votes were mostly unanimous in the former, they were divided in the latter. The Guardian was tasked by the Nine to seek out the final vote from III.<ref>'''Bungie (2025/7/15)''', ''Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate - [[The Edge of Fate (quest)#Step 25|The Edge of Fate: Step 25]]''</ref> Unbeknownst to them, III had already died at the Conductor's hands, when its refusal to bring the Golden Age into the present led her to pull it into a 3-dimensional space. The Guardian and Lodi learned the truth about III once they reach the heart of the singularity and stop Levaszk.<ref name="Message">'''Bungie (2025/07/15)''', ''Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate - [[The Message]]''</ref> Later, they would stop the [[Nessian Schism]] from digitizing Unknown Space and help Maya .87 and Chioma .50 reunite with each other.<ref>'''Bungie (2025/7/15)''', ''Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate - [[The Desert Perpetual]]''</ref>

==Aftermath==
{{Quote|death ensures extinction <br> to survive you must bind the nine|III}}<ref name="Message"/>

III's death had affected all of the factions involved: it placed the council of the Nine on a stalemate between the Inner Orbits and the Outer Orbits,<ref>'''Bungie (2025/09/27)''', ''Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate - Item Description: [[Cusp Sempiternal#Lore|Cusp Sempiternal]]''</ref> it led to the Vanguard deciding to redact the prophecy that they learned from III before it died once more,<ref>'''Bungie (2025/12/02)''', ''Destiny 2: [[Renegades]] - Item Description: [[Praxic Blade#Lore|Praxic Blade]]''</ref> VI began to learn from Hive and [[The Dread|Dread]] arcana and began establishing its goal of achieving [[Ascendant Realm|Ascendancy]] through the [[Sword Logic]],<ref>'''Bungie (2025/7/15)''', ''Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate - Lore:Epochs & Orbits, [[Lore:Epochs & Orbits#Saturn - VI|Saturn - VI]]''</ref> the Conductor began to lose control of the Echo of Command and would send her forces to steal Warmind technology from the [[Tower (Destiny 2)|Tower]] and create a new [[Warsat]] network within the [[Plaguelands]],<ref>'''Bungie (2025/09/09)''', ''Destiny 2: [[Ash & Iron]] - [[Reclaim]]''</ref> a new [[Cabal]] faction called the [[Barant Imperium]] emerged and robbed Xûr for information on the Nine,<ref>'''Bungie (2025/7/15)''', ''Destiny 2: Reclamation - Lore:[[Lore:As Without|As Without]], [[Lore:As Without#Treacherous Contacts|Treacherous Contacts]]''</ref> and Earth began to suffer from chemical changes, environmental anomalies and health problems as a consequence of its death.<ref>'''Bungie (2025/7/15)''', ''Destiny 2: Reclamation - Lore:As Without, [[Lore:As Without#Warped Mirror|Warped Mirror]]''</ref><ref>'''Bungie (2025/7/15)''', ''Destiny 2: Reclamation - Lore:As Without, [[Lore:As Without#Reconciliations|Reconciliations]]''</ref><ref>'''Bungie (2025/7/15)''', ''Destiny 2: Reclamation - Lore:As Without, [[Lore:As Without#Other Side|Other Side]]''</ref><ref>'''Bungie (2025/12/02)''', ''Destiny 2: Renegades - Item Description: [[Compact Defender#Lore|Compact Defender]]''</ref> The Barant Imperium would be led by [[Bracus Lume, Coalition Ally|Premier Lume]] and [[Dredgen Bael]], who is chosen by VI to be its champion in response to the Guardian being anointed as the Weapon.<ref>'''Bungie (2025/12/2)''', ''Destiny 2: Renegades - [[Renegades (Quest)#Step 30|Renegades: Step 30]]''</ref>

Meanwhile, Lodi would meet with Astraea when the Guardian was stopping the Warsats from being launched by Maya, and then Astraea made plans to reunite with [[Soteria]] on [[Neptune]]. This failure would lead to some of the Vex defecting from the Nessian Schism to form a new collective: the [[Tharsis Reformation]].<ref>'''Bungie (2025/10/07)''', ''Destiny 2: Ash & Iron - [[Heliostat]]''</ref> [[Spider]] would hear of the rumors of the new collective from a report made by [[Arrha, Spider's Associate|Arrha]] and decided to make his way to [[Mars]] to investigate.<ref>'''Bungie (2025/10/07)''', ''Destiny 2: Ash & Iron - Item Description: [[New Malpais#Lore|New Malpais]]''</ref>

==List of appearances==
*''[[Destiny 2]]: [[The Edge of Fate]]'' {{1st}}
**''[[Renegades]]'' {{Mo}}

==References==
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[[Category:Conflicts]]