Bungie will always be remembered as the developer who created the Halo franchise, but they are also responsible for creating Destiny. The original game was pretty bare, but it improved considerably as time went on. The same thing happened with Destiny 2. Yet the franchise still managed to cultivate a dedicated fanbase, and the current game is better than it has ever been.
The Cabal are one of the enemy races that players face off against. This war-loving race's civilization resembles that of Ancient Rome. Calus ruled over the Cabal empire for quite some time, but he was eventually overthrown and forced into exile. Season of the Chosen started off with players being introduced to Empress Caiatl, who happens to be Calus' daughter. As the season has progressed, the in-game lore has shined some light on her.
8 She Helped To Overthrow Her Father
Before he became one of Destiny's easiest final raid bosses, Calus ruled over the entire Cabal Empire. He was beloved by the common people because he led a revolution that ousted the empire's ruling military aristocracy. However, several high-ranking Cabal disliked how he handled the empire.
Calus indulged in various pleasures, and Caiatl believed that the empire had become too weak and neglected under his rule, so she agreed to help overthrow him. On the night of the coup, Caiatl secured the throne room. When her father rushed into it to use a mystical bone which cemented his rule, Caiatl crushed it before his eyes.
7 She Only Recently Became Empress
Caiatl wanted to restore the Cabal Empire to its previous glory, but she had wanted to accomplish this as a military commander, not as Empress. With Calus in exile, Dominus Ghaul assumed command of the entire empire, and thanks to him, the Cabal became an organized military threat again.
When Ghaul died at the end of Destiny 2's campaign, it took some time for word to reach the Cabal homeworld. When it did, Caiatl took the throne herself. She cursed Ghaul for his obsession with the Traveler, and immediately began to plan a massive military campaign that would have conquered numerous civilizations across the galaxy.
6 She Has Been Cooperating With The Spider
The Forsaken expansion reintroduced fans to Uldren Sov, the Awoken prince who killed the beloved Hunter Vanguard, Cayde-6. The expansion also introduced fans to The Spider, a Fallen Baron who runs his own crime syndicate on the Tangled Shore.
One of Ikora Rey's Hidden managed to intercept a radio transmission between Caiatl and Spider. During the transmission, Spider offered the Cabal Empress intel in exchange for glimmer. Caiatl criticized him for using Cabal to steal for him. However, she still agreed to meet with him in his lair, where he presumably gave her a layout of the Last City.
5 Not All Of The Remaining Cabal Wish To Join Her Empire
Season of the Chosen's Battlegrounds activities are meant to determine which Cabal are worthy enough to become part of Caiatl's war council. So far, most of the Cabal spread across the solar system have answered the call.
Many of the Cabal see Caiatl as a savior and unifier, but there are some who see her in a less favorable light. Thanks to the in-game lore tabs, players now know that at least one legionnaire turned off her radio when Caiatl made her initial broadcast. This legionnaire sees Caiatl as just another imperial who cares more about her personal goal than the soldiers who do the actual fighting.
4 She Is A Well Trained Star Pilot
The Presage Exotic Quest brings players to a derelict Cabal ship sitting in the middle of the Reef. It probably would have not ended up that way if it had a pilot as capable as Caiatl. In her youth, the Empress played war games with one of the empire's top generals. It was during these games that she fell in love with flying.
She trained to become a pilot and flew dozens of simulated missions. These taught her that the only way she could truly live is if she understood what failure felt like. Caiatl eventually graduated and became a pilot in the legions, where she scouted the frontiers of the empire and discovered numerous threats to its security.
3 She Fought Off An Assassin Sent By Her Father
The Shadows of Calus are an elite team of loyalists from various civilizations who the former emperor recruited during his exile. He tasked several of them with assassinating those who overthrew him, including one whom he sent to kill Caiatl. They delivered a message from her father essentially calling her a child who lacked vision and ambition.
The assassin shot Caiatl in the arm, and eventually stabbed her in her side, but she wrenched the knife free and launched a counterattack. She was able to disarm the attacker, and after she threw them onto the floor, she used her good arm to crush their skull.
2 She Only Asked Zavala To Kneel To Placate Others
Caiatl wanted to conquer the galaxy, but the Hive put an end to those plans when they attacked and decimated the Cabal homeworld. She vowed to get revenge on the Hive, but she knew that her remaining forces wouldn't be enough. Thus she sought out the Guardians.
She wanted to work alongside the Guardians, but she knew that her Cabal advisors would see such a deal as a sign of weakness. This is why she demanded Commander Zavala kneel during the season's opening cinematic. Given the fact that the Hive is their shared enemy, she expected him to agree. However, when he refused, she was forced to act in a way that didn't seem weak.
1 She Gave The Psions Their Freedom
The Cabal are massive humanoid aliens with a rhinoceros-like appearance. However, when players deal with the faction, they usually have to face off against Psions too. The Psions are actually a psychically powered race of aliens whose planet was conquered by the Cabal Empire years ago.
The Cabal enslaved the Psions for a long time, but eventually, the Psions managed to become completely integrated into Cabal society. Several even became high-ranking commanders. Calus wanted to free them, but he was usurped before he could make it official. Luckily, Caiatl saw the Psions' value, which is why she made them full citizens right before the Hive attacked.