A common complaint about Destiny has been that it hides its best story in the lore. Well, that’s improved by leaps and bounds this past year, although right now, you do need to be doing at least some amount of reading to see what’s coming. And what’s on the way is potentially rather shocking, unless someone puts an end to it soon.

This article will not contain datamined spoilers, only what’s in the game as of this week.

A central conflict has been brewing all season long in Destiny 2, with the Last City taking in Fallen refugees from House Light led by Mithrax, a rare ally from a race we’re usually fighting.

While Mithrax and his splicers have been helpful to us as players, not everyone views their arrival as a good thing. Future War Cult leader Lakshmi-2 has returned, and has been stirring up anti-Fallen sentiment. In a public broadcast this week, she openly questions the Vanguard’s decision to let the Fallen in, even as Mithrax tries to forge an alliance with her by giving her Vex data he’s mined.

Lakshmi-2 uses Vex technology to claim she can see into the future, and she’s repeatedly talked about a vision of carnage and death in the Last City with the Fallen in the center. But what’s becoming increasingly clear is that it may be Lakshmi, not Mithrax and House Light, who causes the violence in the first place.

A hugely important piece of lore dropped this week talking about what Lakshmi is doing behind the scenes, actively plotting a coup with the other faction leaders to oust Zavala and Ikora and replace them with more…sympathetic leadership. She views forging alliances with the Cabal and Fallen and us using the Darkness as the Vanguard going off the deep end, and it’s time for a change. Here’s some relevant reading, as Lakshmi and New Monarchy’s Hideo try to convert Dead Orbit’s Arach Jalaal to their cause:

"Zavala and Ikora have been ineffective since the Speaker died," Executor Hideo cut in. "The disappearance of the planets caught them unprepared. They're allowing Guardians to use the Darkness. And now they've cut a deal with the Cabal? It's just too much."

"We must have leadership whose point of view is more closely aligned to that of the people," Lakshmi said.

"And who do you propose, exactly?" Jalaal stopped the trio at the corner of a broad thoroughfare, where the rumble of cargo movers masked their conversation.

"Saladin was our first choice," Hideo added with an ill-concealed smirk, "but he's not as cutthroat as he seems. Appears the Iron Lord has a soft spot for Commander Zavala."

Lakshmi gave Hideo a look, as though he had revealed too much. "We are now considering Saint-14," she said, pointedly bringing the conversation back to the present.

Jalaal raised an eyebrow. "Who else is committed to your little coup?"

"We have somebody in a position of influence. Someone who can ensure an orderly transfer of power," Lakshmi answered.

I mean, god, so much to process. Their current plan is to overthrow Zavala and Ikora, and replace them with someone like Saint-14, who is no friend of the Fallen. And Lakshmi says she has someone “in a position of influence” that can help them with this process.

My only guess for who that would be? Osiris. He’s a shell of himself after the death of his Ghost, Sagira, and the loss of his light. As a former exile, he’s been no friend of the Vanguard, even if he’s recently been brought back into the fold. And of course he would back his boyfriend Saint-14 taking charge. This also plays into…other theories about Osiris, but I won’t go into those now. But for what Lakshmi is proposing here, it makes sense on a few levels.

If this happens, Destiny 2 is headed toward a literal civil war between the Vanguard and the Faction leaders, with figures like Saint, Osiris, Saladin, Mithrax and us caught in the middle. If I were Lakshmi, I would probably execute some sort of false flag attack in the city and frame House Light for it, making that the catalyst for the takeover.

The problem? It’s hard to see how this plays out in-game other than maybe a cutscene or two. We will not be fighting AI-controlled human or Guardian enemies in the streets, after all. It’s also possible nothing comes of this and we run some mission to unearth evidence of Lakshmi’s betrayal and this all ends before it even starts.

But…maybe not. Keep an eye out. It sure feels like things are about to get wild.

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