Lakshmi-2

Lakshmi-2 was an Exo who served as a leader of the Future War Cult and faction representative to the Consensus. She sold a variety of FWC-branded armor, weapons, and emblems intended for use in the Crucible by Guardians who represented the Cult prior to its collapse following her death.

Biography
Like most Exos, Lakshmi was originally a human who lived during the Golden Age. At some point her consciousness was uploaded into a virtual format, presumably by Clovis Bray, and she left her biological form behind to become an Exo.

She would go on to work with the Ishtar Collective, where she became an acquaintance of Maya Sundaresh. During the Collapse, she was among the researchers who traveled to Neptune aboard the Exodus Indigo. At this point, she had undergone one reset, and was known as Lakshmi-2.

Rebirth on Neptune
According to research logs left by Chioma Esi, the version of Lakshmi known to the people of the Last City was the product of an experiment by Maya Sundaresh that took place some time after the Exodus Indigo brought Maya, Chioma and other Ishtar Collective researchers to Neptune during the Collapse. After arriving on Neptune, the colonists had discovered a paracausal entity, the Veil, on the terraformed surface of the planet, which produced psychic emanations and induced death in all who came into contact with it. Maya and Chioma developed a prototype interface by which researchers could receive and interpret the Veil's psychic signals, but the initial test of the interface resulted in the deaths of all participants.

Undeterred, and against Chioma's wishes, Maya repeated the test with brain-dead Exos whose minds had been wiped during initial contact with the Veil, placing them in the Veil interface in lieu of biological human participants. In doing so, she reversed the machine's function: whereas previously the system was designed to have a single "conductor" guiding an "orchestra" of participants as they communed with the Veil, this new approach directed data from the assembled Exos into a central recipient. For unknown reasons, Maya had also provided her own mental imprint during the test, to be overlaid on that of the central Exo recipient.

The receiving test subject in this experiment was Lakshmi-2, who had undergone brain death like all the other Exos brought on the mission. The experiment resulted in Lakshmi awakening, but with her mind having become either a total or partial copy of Maya's, speaking with Maya's voice and possessing some of her memories. Chioma was deeply discomforted by Lakshmi, referring to her as "it" and claiming she looked at her like she knew something Chioma didn't.

Early Life and Master of the War Cult
"I walked during the dark times. A thousand kings rose and fell then."

- Lakshmi-2

Some time after her revival and Maya's mysterious death, Lakshmi traveled to Earth as part of an expedition led by the Cloud Strider Stargazer, where she was presumably left behind when the expedition was attacked by the Risen warlord Carnunta. She later became a refugee during the Dark Age and wandered across the world. During her wanderings she witnessed the rise and fall of thousands of would-be kings and saw hundreds of battles and conflicts including the House of Devils burning London, an order of knights fighting the Darkness in Mumbai, the siege of Tycho, and saw the Hive at a place called Tranquility. Caught in these brutal conflicts, Lakshmi was eventually saved by the Future War Cult, who recruited her into their ranks. After being saved by the Cult, Lakshmi eventually arrived in The Last City, although few knew her origins and found her sudden appearance abrupt. She rose through the ranks of the Future War Cult, eventually becoming one of the leaders of its Inner Circle and being appointed as their representative on the Consensus. If she retained memories of her origins on Neptune, she never shared them with anyone, at least outside the Future War Cult.

Alternate Timelines
After a mysterious weapon known as the MIDA Multi-Tool was discovered, Lakshmi aided Lord Shaxx in investigating its origins due to Commander Zavala's desire to ban its use. She concluded that it came from an alternate timeline, and was perhaps brought into their timestream by Golden Age experiments.

Investigating Praedyth
"A Guardian I've never heard of leaves behind a Ghost I've never seen carrying files stamped with Cult headers, files I would have had to authorize to be stamped that way. This kind of thing is why I wake up in the morning."

- Lakshmi-2, upon the Guardian bringing her Praedyth's Ghost

Following an operation against the Taken on Venus, Lakshmi was visited by The Guardian, who brought her the remains of a Ghost belonging to an unknown Warlock named Praedyth that had been recovered deep within the Vault of Glass. She was fascinated by the fact that the Ghost carried files within its corrupted memory that were stamped with Cult headers that she would have had to authorize but had no memory of doing so. Lakshmi explained to the Guardian that while the Hive sought to destroy them, the Fallen sought to steal from them, and the Cabal sought their planet, only the Vex had the power to take their past from them. In order to unravel the mystery behind Praedyth and his Ghost, Lakshmi required more information and requested that the Guardian find and kill a powerful Taken Minotaur to retrieve a simulation core from its remains and shatter it. After the Guardian accomplished this, their Ghost sent data from the core to Lakshmi and the FWC for analysis. When the Guardian returned, Lakshmi revealed that their next task would be the most difficult yet: confronting Atheon, Time's Conflux within the Vault of Glass, taking its eye and shattering it (as they had done previously with the core) in order to recover the data within.

The Guardian succeeded in this task, sending the data to Lakshmi. Meeting with the Guardian once more, she informed them that the data from Atheon was still being analysed, but the simulation core had revealed their next step. Lakshmi requested that they travel to Twilight Gap, where a "snag" in the timeline was sending out ripples Praedyth's Ghost had witnessed. When the Guardian returned, Lakshmi was astonished that they brought back a bracelet with the symbol of House Bray upon it. She identified it as belonging to the Hunter Anastasia Bray, who had supposedly perished at the Battle of the Twilight Gap. Thanking the Guardian for recovering such an artifact and noting that the Inner Circle of the Cult would be interested in examining it, Lakshmi revealed that the data from Atheon's core revealed yet another ripple in time, this time pointing to the Black Garden. The ripple flowed out from a Vex known as The Groundskeeper within the heart of the Garden that needed to be destroyed to unlock the source of the disturbance.

When the Guardian returned from the Black Garden, they presented a ring to Lakshmi. She identified the symbol as belonging to the Warlock Pujari, yet another Guardian who had been reported to have died their final death. Curious about why these artifacts had been pulled through time, Lakshmi reassured the Guardian that she and the Future War Cult would study them to find answers. However, she noted that their work together was at an end, the Guardian's actions having caused the data within Praedyth's Ghost to unscramble. Before them, the rifle No Time To Explain appeared, transmatted through space and time specifically for the Guardian. Lakshmi was fascinated by this development and speculated that someone had taken notice of their actions and hoped to one day discover their identity and ask what this all meant.

A New Golden Age
"The only thing you need to know about me is that my predictions were correct. War came. We were vindicated."

- Lakshmi-2

After the liberation of the Last City from the hands of the Red Legion, the Future War Cult was vindicated in its beliefs. The Cult had long predicted the Red War but had never been taken seriously. During the Red War, half of the Inner Circle disappeared. Lakshmi was uncertain of their fate, but assumed that as their deaths had not been predicted they must still be alive somewhere. Lakshmi returned to the City and attended a meeting of the Consensus, which was now leaderless following the death of the Speaker. Lakshmi inquired if there were any laws that governed how to choose a new Speaker, but was informed by Commander Zavala that no guidelines existed. Lakshmi and the other Consensus members agreed to work on creating a process to choose a new Speaker while working together in governing the city.

During another meeting of the Consensus, the Guardian Ariadne Gris was summoned before them to answer charges of Ahamkara worship due to painting a dragon onto her Sparrow. When Ikora Rey declared that it was obvious that Ariadne did not have contact with the Ahamkara, Lakshmi inquired as to how she was so sure, and the Warlock Vanguard stated that if she did commune with the wish dragons, her win/loss record in the Sparrow Racing League would be better. At another meeting of the Consensus, Lakshmi joined in on thanking the Titan Callisto Yin for saving the Fire Victorious, an ever-burning torch within the Last City, when it fell to the Red Legion. Yin told the Consensus that the Fire Victorious would not be returning to the Firebreak Plaza within the Last City. Lakshmi inquired as to what the Firebreak Order would do with it instead and was told that they would each carry a piece of the flame within their Ghosts to carry the light of the City across the solar system.

Darkness Arrives
"We were prepared by every conflict that befell the City. This war has been written in the stars. Let it come."

- Lakshmi-2

When the Pyramids arrived within the Solar System, Lakshmi attended an emergency Vanguard meeting with the rest of the Consensus to discuss the next course of actions following Rasputin's disabling. She accepted Ada-1's help with Project Stronghold to prepare the Last City for a possible attack from their ancient enemy. She also requested to assist Ana Bray in assessing the damage caused to Rasputin.

During the conflict with Empress Caiatl's Cabal Forces, Lakshmi was questioned by Ikora after Maier, a member of the Last City's investigative service and a spy for the Future War Cult, was arrested by the Vanguard while on the way to inform her of a discovery he made. She denied any knowledge of Maier working for the Cult and Ikora was unable to press her further due to a lack of evidence connecting the Cult to Maier's activities.

The Endless Night
"This time, I will not whisper my warnings. I will not be polite."

- Lakshmi, discussing her belief that the House of Light was a threat to the Last City

While utilizing The Device, Lakshmi experienced a vision of a massive battle in the Last City with Fallen standing amongst the rubble. Shortly after this vision, the Vex unleashed a simulation covering the city in an Endless Night that drained the power grid. The Vanguard turned to the House of Light's Kell Mithrax for aid, as he was among the last Sacred Splicers who could potentially use his knowledge to halt the Vex. The Consensus was outraged that Ikora offered House Light permanent shelter in the Last City in exchange for this help. Lakshmi joined Osiris in visiting the ruins of the Botza District, which had been granted to House Light, and she swiftly recognized Mithrax as one of the Fallen she had seen in her vision. Although the Kell thanked them for their generosity and extended the appreciation of his people, Lakshmi was hostile towards him and warned him to show that appreciation by keeping his people away from the rest of the Last City's residents. Lakshmi acknowledged that while his help would aid the City, she doubted everyone else would be so open-minded and prepared to depart. She was stopped short when Osiris offered further aid to the House of Light in settling in. Scornfully, Lakshmi noted he should direct such requests to Ikora since she seemed willing to help the Fallen, but Lakshmi intended to serve as an advocate for the people of the City in the dark days she had seen ahead. Before transmatting out of the camp, Lakshmi noted how highly those who lived in the Tower placed themselves and warned the others not to breathe too much of the air up there, as it was quite thin.

Lakshmi told Ikora of her vision and that Mithrax and his Fallen had been present, but the Vanguard did not share her concerns. Following the first successful breach of the Vex's Outer Nexus, Lakshmi requested to talk with the Guardian. She was displeased with the fact the holo transmitter they used was set up in the Fallen's wing of the H.E.L.M., but nevertheless offered her assistance to them and declared they desperately needed it. She swiftly explained how the Cult used Vex tech to safely view possible futures and revealed her vision to them. Lakshmi was outraged that Ikora had ignored her and believed that the Vanguard was protecting its image over the people of the Last City. Vowing to handle the situation herself, the cult leader intended to prevent that future from occurring. She suggested to the Guardian that while she helped monitor their progress against the Vex, she would also spy on the Fallen. If she saw signs that they planned to act against the Last City, Lakshmi intended to act to stop them. Recalling how her past warnings about the fall of the City to the Red Legion had been ignored, she swore that would not be the case this time and that her warnings would not be polite or quiet. Lakshmi ended by hoping that her work with the Guardian would protect the Last City from all who wished it harm.

Ultimately, Lakshmi began to make public broadcasts, warning the citizens of the Last City that the Eliksni House of Light are not to be trusted, despite allying with the Vanguard to stop the Endless Night. Her proclamations ultimately cause members of her own faction to denounce her and resign but only after her speeches stoked fears in a number of citizens leading to a mob ransacking the Eliksni Quarters. Angered by the War Cult leader's attempts to spread fear, Ikora Rey intended to speak with Lakshmi but she refused to be swayed from her belief that the House of Light will be part of a tragedy that the Last City will face, continuing her broadcasts against the Vanguard's conduct and the alliance with the House of Light. One broadcast enraged Ikora enough to interrupt her speech, denouncing Lakshmi's attempts to spread fear and distrust. Lakshmi attempted to twist this to her advantage, claiming she was "silenced" by the Vanguard and further revealed that the Endless Night was the work of Savathûn, the Witch Queen, using her servant Quria, the Dreaming Mind to accomplish it.

Despite her broadcasts and messages to the Guardians, the Lightbearers refused to be swayed by her, causing the War Cult leader to collude with the other Faction leaders. Lakshmi and her counterparts in New Monarchy and Dead Orbit attempted to convince both Saladin Forge and Saint-14 to become the new leader of the Vanguard, believing that their experience would bring them more in line with their views. Saladin rebuffed their offer, as the Iron Lord trusted the judgement of Zavala and Ikora, whilst Saint-14 had come to an understanding with Mithrax and his people, rejecting their offer. Finding the Guardians' judgement compromised, Lakshmi made plans to assume control over the Consensus and forcibly expel the House of Light even as the Guardians made progress in locating Quria.

Prophecy Fulfilled
"With the aid of Osiris, I have learned how to safely command the power of the Vex. I will use it to do what the Vanguard will not. I will tear open a rift; banish the Fallen to the depths of space from where they came. We alone will save humanity. I have seen the darkest of futures, and with this act, I will – No. NO! (agonized screams)"

- Lakshmi-2's final broadcast to the city before meeting her demise at the hands of the Vex.

After months of combating the Vex and the corrupted forces of Quria, the Guardians were able to finally corner Quria with the aid of Mithrax, allowing the Guardians to make another breach into the Outer Nexus and face the Dreaming Mind. After a long battle and despite its simulation and Taken powers, the Guardians were successful in destroying Quria, allowing daylight to slowly return to the Last City. Despite this victory, Lakshmi continued to make broadcasts against the House of Light and plan to assume control over the Last City and remove the Eliksni.

While watching the City's streets from the wall, Lakshmi observed some of the citizens mingling with Eliksni. She spotted one peddler selling small robots he had made from discarded scraps and knew from her time in the Device that despite the interest of several children the Eliksni would sell only one of the robots and end up discouraged. Osiris then approached her and noted it was a brand new day, just as she had seen in the Device. The two began a conversation and Lakshmi noted with satisfaction that it played out almost exactly as it had when she witnessed it. She noted that the Darkness was closer than ever and blamed Osiris' loss of the Light for him not seeing the threat of the Eliksni clearly. Osiris claimed he now placed his faith in the Traveler and questioned if Lakshmi believed them to be living a new dawn. Recalling a vision of victory over the Eliksni and the future she sought coming closer by the minute, Lakshmi told him that they were in the flash of lightning before a coming storm.

Lakshmi received aid from Osiris in how to use the Device to create a Vex portal, which she intended to use to banish the Eliksni to the depths of space. With the support of her remaining Future War Cult loyalists and supporters from New Monarchy provided by Hideo, Lakshmi led a forced roundup of the House of Light while broadcasting her actions to the Last City. She claimed that the Traveler had chosen only them and demeaned the Eliksni as unworthy beings plotting to steal the Light from humanity while also embracing the Darkness. Lakshmi claimed to have seen a vision of Mithrax and his followers turning on humanity now that the Endless Night was done and that she would not allow them to do so. Revealing to the City that Osiris had aided her in this task, Lakshmi explained her plan to rid the Last City of the Eliksni to save humanity from the failures of the Vanguard. However as the rift opened Vex began to emerge and kill everything in their path. Lakshmi watched in horror and shock as the chaos and violence she had foreseen unfolded due to her own actions. The invading Vex killed her as well and Lakshmi's death screams echoed across the broadcast for all the City to hear. The Guardians were fortunately able to close the portal and save the Eliksni from the Vex, undoing the damage Lakshmi had caused.

Legacy
With her role in the conspiracy against the Vanguard and House of Light exposed, the Future War Cult was disbanded and the other Factions fled the Last City during the chaos of the Vex's attack, bringing an end to the age of City Factions. Lakshmi's efforts ultimately nearly brought catastrophe to the Last City, causing a Vex invasion and almost murdering the innocent Eliksni of the House of Light. Despite this tragedy, the Vanguard and House of Light reaffirm their alliance in making a better tomorrow, undoing Lakshmi's efforts in spreading fear towards the House of Light. In her broadcast before her death, Lakshmi claimed she was aided by Osiris, leading the Vanguard to launch an investigation on the Warlock as he disappeared after the chaos.

Later in the Reef, the Guardians would locate Osiris but to their shock and horror, the "Osiris" that aided Lakshmi was actually Savathûn herself. The Witch Queen claimed that she had been "aiding" the Guardians for some time and her part in helping Lakshmi was a ploy to expose the War Cult leader's conspiracy, thereby removing traitors from within the Last City, ultimately making Lakshmi nothing more than a pawn in Savathûn's schemes.

Over a year later following Lakshmi's failed coup, the Guardians would discover Neomuna on Neptune as they sought to prevent their true enemy, The Witness, from acquiring the Veil. Though The Witness got what it wanted from the Veil, Osiris and the Cloud Strider, Nimbus, hoped that the research logs that Maya Sunderesh and Chioma Esi had made would provide insight on the nature of The Veil. To Osiris's surprise, he learned that Lakshmi-2 not only came from Neomuna but was a copy of Maya herself, making the former Lightbearer wonder why the War Cult leader never spoke of Neomuna and how much she influenced Last City politics as a result.

Personality and traits
As revealed by audio logs left by Chioma Esi, the version of Lakshmi-2 known to the people of the Last City shares at least some of her memories and personality with Maya Sundaresh, having previously died and then being revived by Maya in an experiment involving the Veil in which Maya overlaid her own mental imprint on that of Lakshmi's.

Lakshmi-2 was talkative enough about war stories and the accomplishments of Future War Cult but was otherwise tight-lipped about the inner workings of her faction. She viewed the coming of the Darkness as an inevitable conflict, one that could not be simply avoided, as Dead Orbit wished. She was always pondering aloud about the nature of time, fate, and the existence of alternate timelines, particularly ones without war. Lakshmi was also obsessed with finding the Exo Stranger, believing her to be the key to humanity's victory.

In Season of the Splicer, a darker side of Lakshmi-2 slowly appeared. Although she seemed optimistic about the alliance between the Vanguard and the Fallen House of Light, she began to grow more paranoid after they were allowed to live within the Last City's walls. This was compounded by her constant use of the Device her faction venerated to peer into the future, leading her to believe the House of Light Eliksni were no different from the rest of the Fallen and that humanity could achieve victory over the Vex without them. As a result, Lakshmi-2 became a fearmonger, making broadcasts denouncing the alliance Ikora had forged with Mithrax while inciting the citizens of the Last City against the Eliksni. Her recent demeanor even caused members of the FWC to resign, disillusioned with the direction Lakshmi-2 was leading the faction in. Worst of all, it is heavily hinted that she intended to stage a coup against the Vanguard and the other City factions to assume full control over the city as its savior and prophet.

Ironically, Lakshmi-2's obsession with her prophecy would be her undoing. Believing that the Vanguard has lost its way, that the Guardians have failed, and the Eliksni would bring tragedy to the Last City, Lakshmi colluded with other factions to oust the Vanguard and cast the House of Light out of the City. In her zeal, Lakshmi would actually threaten the Last City with an invasion from the Vex. She was arrogant enough to believe that she could control the Vex portal to destroy the Eliksni by sending them to space but ultimately was killed by the Vex using the portal to enter the City, realizing too late that her prophecy had come true but not in a manner she had expected. As Ikora Rey put it, she foresaw the coming tragedy but failed to see it was of her own making.

Destiny

 * "What if there were a single timeline untouched by war, would you have any idea how to live in it?"
 * "What if there were a better timeline somewhere? What have you done to earn it?"
 * "A single light in an infinity of darkness. Like the last signal flare before the walls are overrun."
 * "You think I'd let you into the Inner Circle if you stand there long enough? Hahahaha... I might."
 * "Even the stars struggle! From the black holes of their bodies, new timelines are born. Born into strife. "
 * "So; I can tell by the way you stare at me you've seen her. Haven't you."
 * "We keep our mysteries close. Take them from us if you can."
 * "Another war story? I could tell you about Tranquility, and the Hive?"
 * "Oh I never run out of war stories friends. Have you heard of the Dust Devils?"
 * "Don't think I'll give up our secrets just because you stare at me."
 * "The Inner Circle has its secrets. Maybe in time."
 * "A trillion timelines, and all at war. Like a thousand red flowers growing in a black garden."
 * "What if you could learn to love your fate?"
 * "Dead Orbit can run to the ends of the universe, but a war will be there waiting for them."
 * "War is our fate. Can you learn to love it?"
 * "She will find it, Guardian. And when she does, we'll be there."
 * "Another war story? Well, I could tell you about the knights that Darkness overrun in Mumbai."
 * "You think the Guardians can carry the fight alone? You think you have the right to be weak?"
 * "Know the only truth is war Guardian. You'll always be needed."
 * "I could tell you another. I could tell you about the siege of Tycho."
 * "Paradox is just a word that stupid people use to hide from the truth."
 * "An infinity of timelines. If one timeline in a trillion knows peace, how could you ever hope to find it?"
 * "Dead Orbit just misdiagnosed the problem. It's not a matter of distance, but of time."
 * "And in each new world, a new birth of time. And as always the seas of war will be there too."
 * "Another war story? I was there when the House of Devils burned London."
 * "What if on some dreadful night, the Darkness were to come creeping up to you and whisper 'This war, is all there is for you.' "
 * "This war has no end, Guardian."
 * "What do I think of the New Monarchy? Hahahahahaha... I don't, really."
 * "I have the highest respect for the Warlocks."

Destiny 2

 * "Future War Cult is selective in recruiting. But you, you will make the cut."
 * "Subtle, very subtle."
 * "War is a place for you, Titan."
 * "May you triumph in all your wars, Titan."
 * "Titan, how does the prospect of infinite war sound to you?"
 * "May all your timelines be bright, Hunter."
 * "Hunter, have you learned to use secrets like knives? Did you want to learn?"
 * "I have seen Hunters cut through braided timelines to a single gleaming future. I don't know how you do it."
 * "You don't need to do this alone, Hunter. The War Cult is here."
 * "I see battle in your future, Warlock. Go bravely."
 * "I await your information."
 * "Refugees, refugees, refugees. Of course we'll serve them, convert them, bring them into the mysteries, but only the worthy ones."
 * "I understand them better than you might think. Long ago, I, too was flotsam in a brutal war. Future War Cult found me. Now I can do the same for others."
 * "We pay well for data."
 * "The Tower may fall, the City may fall. Future War Cult shall endure."
 * "Anything of note?"
 * "And so you return to war. Be well."
 * "Do tell."
 * "Do you have a story to tell me?"
 * "Will you be our sword?"
 * "Great things can come out of the competitive spirit. Once, we competed to design the most accurate simulations of the local multiverse. I foresaw a bloody battle which came to pass in one. That was the beginning."
 * "The Consensus believes we can steal a march on our enemies by stealing their supplies. This is true, but it also lacks ambition."
 * "They speak of ancient treasures, recently unearthed by a landslide and weathering, waiting for claimants. Of course the Consensus wants a cut. But they have promised a share to the finders as well."
 * "She has been silent for so long. No one has seen her in years. But I have faith."
 * "What do you think you will learn about Future War Cult by standing there?"
 * "Loitering won't get you into the Inner Circle, Guardian."
 * "You stare and say nothing, Guardian. Are you foolish, I wonder, or truly wise?"
 * "In a million other timelines, the city is destroyed by Vex, or Fallen, or Taken, or Hive. What's constant, is the struggle."
 * "Half the Inner Circle vanished during the Red War. We did not predict their deaths, so they must still be alive... somewhere."
 * "When I foresaw the Red War, they laughed... until Ghaul bound the Traveler. This time, I will not whisper my warnings. I will not be polite."

Trivia

 * Lakshmi-2 is voiced by Shohreh Aghdashloo.
 * Her name is the same as that of a Hindu goddess.
 * Notably, the goddess Lakshmi is also referred to by the epithet māyā, which has a variety of meanings generally relating to the illusory nature of reality, or the ability to turn ideas into physical reality. In some contexts, māyā is described as a "veil" hiding the true nature of the universe. Collectively, these ideas may be alluded to by the story of Maya Sundaresh's experiences with the Veil, and her creation of Lakshmi-2.

List of appearances

 * Destiny
 * The Taken King
 * Destiny 2
 * Curse of Osiris
 * Warmind
 * Joker's Wild
 * Season of Arrivals
 * Beyond Light
 * Season of the Chosen
 * Season of the Splicer
 * Season of the Lost
 * The Witch Queen
 * Season of the Deep