Rex investiates how he can join the Ascendency. He would need to join as part of a group of some kind. He finds a guild of "legitimate businessmen" who do his kind of work and he works on becoming a member of this "Syndicate".
Psyche conducts some investigations into the Dark Drive and finds that she would have to join the Science Guild to get some of her information. Dale offers to introduce her to some people. This will involve going to another location off planet. He offers her a hotel suite downtown to watch fireworks from. She also finds out he is a "level 9" (out of 10) in the Ascendancy. She checks into the very nice hotel suite. This suite costs a boatload of money. Dale says it was booked for a friend who wasn't able to make it.
Deca looks into the presence of the Mystic Knights in the Ascendency. He finds from El Alil that were also missing mystic knights who came here long ago and vanished without a trace. There are people who have some of the same abilities as Mystic Knights who do not appear to be Mystic Knights. He also finds out about some Dark Adepts (who may have been once referred to as Dark Priests).
Deca and El Alil find an old park near an industrial structure, and goes to check it out.
Rex joins the Syndicate and takes a job to collect some money from someone with instructions to break something if he doesn't have it. This guy turns out to be "Lenny", a sentient lobster species. Lenny shoes Rex in the leg but Rex captures him anyway. Lenny doesn't have the money, but promises he can get it and leads Rex into an ambush where Lenny ends up getting shot. Rex reports back and they consider it a partial success, but are upset that Rex didn't just break some limbs and they want him to make sure Lenny survives. Rex hacks the hospital computers and finds records that indicate he is expected to survive.
Deca visits the ruins in the park. He follows clues of "darkness" down into a structure. He tries to learn more about the place before proceeding into the heart of darkness. He finds various ceremonial chambers for priestly classes, and a large meeting hall. He also finds an altar-like structure with bowls for holding some kind of fluid. He then proceeds further down.
Psyche has a meeting with the Science Guild on another system. Dale can get her there in about a week or so. She calls Deca and instead he suggests taking the Destiny to this planet. Once he finishes what he is up to. Psyche and Dale join up with Deca and El Anil. And Anna. They notice there are motifs involving tentacled horror creature that were worshiped by locals who then joined with them. Dale warns them that this place is considered dangerous because of this creature, which is described as "unkillable". Psyche is determined to press on.
As they proceed something is draining their power from their devices. El Anil has a bad feeling about it. Some relays are set up to keep connections to Destiny.
Rex finishes a courier job successfully for the syndicate. Afterwards he meets Riley of the Death Angels who is interested in having him joing their crew. Rex calls in to Destiny and finds out the group is in the ruins and might need some munitions.
Deca finds a door, that does not scan. Anna touches it and vanishes. Others touch the door but it does nothing. Deca pushes the door and it opens towards him. Darkness floods out of the room and envelops everyone. Everyone eventually establishes hand to hand contact. Deca extends his senses and senses a creature of darkness… and other creatures as well working for it.
El Alil wants to attack now before his sword is drained. He asks Deca to make a diversion. Psyche tries to talk to it and is compeled to go towards it. Dale pulls her away. Anna trumps Rex and pulls him through, with some explosives from Destiny and instructions on which columns to place them to cause a collapse. He shapeshifts his ears to gain echolocation and see in the darkness.
Rex sets the bombs on pillars, Anna opens a portal to destiny and everyone goes through except Deca, who times his jump with detonating the bombs, collapsing the pyramid.
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