Destiny 2's Echoes Episode Reveals Maya Sundaresh as the Conductor, Leading a Transformed Vex Collective

Destiny 2's Echoes episode unveils a transformed Vex collective and the enigmatic Conductor, igniting thrilling new threats on Nessus.

In the aftermath of the Witness's defeat in the climactic Excision mission, the universe of Destiny 2 has entered a new, unpredictable era. A few months following this monumental victory, strange reports began emanating from the verdant landscapes of Nessus. The Vex, once a predictable and unified technological threat, began exhibiting erratic behavior and were detected emitting odd energy signatures. This anomaly coincided with a sudden influx of Cabal and Fallen forces scouring the planet for an unknown prize. This convergence of events marked the beginning of the first Episode, "Echoes," and the emergence of a radically changed Vex collective under the enigmatic leadership of a figure known only as "the Conductor."

The Vex Are Changed By The Power of Light

For eons, the Vex have represented a singular, unfathomable will—a hive-mind striving for a universe of perfect, uniform simplicity, much like the Winnower from the primordial Garden. Their existence has been defined by technological assimilation and reality-warping simulations. However, the final confrontation with the Witness unleashed unforeseen consequences. As Guardians fought their way towards a mysterious fallen remnant of the Witness—an "Echo"—in the mission "A Rising Chorus," the AI Failsafe noted the Vex were acting peculiarly. The energy emitted by this Echo, a unique fusion of Light and Darkness, is granting the Vex on Nessus a startling new capability: individuality. For the first time, Vex units are demonstrating the capacity to act outside their collective consciousness, making independent choices. This fundamental shift in their nature poses an unprecedented threat to the Vanguard and the Last City.

Who Is The Conductor, Leader Of The New Vex?

The being guiding this transformed collective calls itself the Conductor. A deep dive into lore from the Season of Defiance and the unfolding narrative of "Echoes: Act 1" points compellingly to one identity: the legendary Ishtar Collective researcher, Maya Sundaresh. To understand this connection, one must first understand the Ishtar Collective. This group of Golden-Age scientists was dedicated to the meticulous study and understanding of the Vex menace. Following the Collapse, Maya Sundaresh and her partner, Chioma Esi, fled aboard the Exodus Indigo to Neptune, where they founded the hidden city of Neomuna.

There, they discovered the Veil, a paracausal entity of pure Darkness that parallels the Traveler. While studying its immense power, Maya continued her lifelong obsession with the Vex, who remain a persistent threat on Neomuna. The Ishtar researchers developed a method to interface with the Veil, which they called "The Chorus." Chioma Esi described it in her research logs: "The system's designed like an orchestra, with a central 'conductor' directing a symphony of minds to act like a distributed network. The... idea came to us by watching how collective networks like SIVA and the Vex operate." Inspired directly by the Vex hive-mind's structure, Maya successfully linked The Chorus to the Veil.

Tragically, later logs reveal Chioma discovered Maya's lifeless body in the conductor's chair after she attempted to commune with the Veil alone. While her ultimate goal for this solo venture remains unknown, her fate is inextricably linked to the new Vex leader. The location of her death—the conductor's station—and the title assumed by the Vex entity are no coincidence. It is highly probable that Maya's consciousness was at least partially successful in merging with the Veil's power, and she is now using that power to command the very entities she spent her life studying.

Saint-14's Encounter Connects The Conductor to Ishtar Research

The connection between the Conductor and Maya's work is further solidified by the kidnapping and interrogation of the legendary Exo Titan, Saint-14. Rescued by Guardians, Saint-14 described a harrowing experience to Osiris: "It was not like any Vex I have seen. It connected to my mind and called itself 'the Conductor.'" He revealed the entity was not seeking military intelligence on the Vanguard. Instead, Saint-14 stated, "They measured my humanity, my legitimacy."

This line of questioning is a direct result of Maya Sundaresh's expertise. Her Veil research involved using braindead Exo frames as filters to interpret the Veil's data for human minds. Through this process, she gained an unparalleled understanding of Exo physiology and consciousness. Since Exos are constructed using Vex radiolarian fluid as a foundational component, Maya's knowledge bridges both species. Now, as the Conductor, this entity—whether it is Maya's uploaded consciousness or a sophisticated copy like the late Lakshmi-2—is using Saint-14 as a benchmark. The Conductor is grappling with its own newfound sense of being and power, using an Exo as a touchstone to understand concepts of humanity, reality, and legitimacy.

The Conductor's Goal: A New Golden Age

Maya Sundaresh's history with Exos and the Vex defines the Conductor's modus operandi, and her ultimate ambition is becoming clear. Saint-14 relayed to Osiris the Conductor's proclamation: "A new Golden Age is coming, free from falsities like me." This statement reveals a profound and dangerous ideology:

• Rejection of the "False": The Conductor views Saint-14, an Exo, as an imitation—a "falsity" of the original human Saint-14. This likely extends to all Exos, Guardians, and perhaps any being it deems artificially sustained.

• A Vision of Purity: It seeks to usher in an era it perceives as pure and authentic, likely one of perfect, logical order free from the chaos of paracausal powers like the Light and Dark as wielded by others.

• Harnessing New Power: To achieve this, the Conductor is leveraging the power gained from Maya's Veil experiments combined with the transformative energy of the Echo on Nessus. This fusion grants it command over a Vex collective that is no longer a mindless swarm but a directed, intelligent force.

As of 2026, with the Cabal and Fallen also vying for control of the Echo, the Vanguard faces a multifaceted crisis. The Conductor is not merely another enemy to defeat; it is a philosophical adversary seeking to fill the power vacuum left by the Witness, using a deep, scholarly understanding of humanity's greatest technological achievements against it. Guardians must prepare to confront not just a changed enemy, but the ghost of Golden-Age ambition wielding the combined might of the Vex and the Veil. The future of Destiny 2's universe hinges on understanding this new, intellectually formidable foe born from humanity's own quest for knowledge.

Quick Facts:

Aspect	Detail
Game	Destiny 2
Genre	First-Person Shooter (FPS)
Latest Major Threat	The Conductor & the Transformed Vex
Key Location	Nessus
Theoretical Identity	Maya Sundaresh / Ishtar Collective Consciousness
Primary Goal	Ushering in a "new Golden Age" free of perceived artificiality