[b][u]Old Ambition[/u][/b] Taravax-7 and Vida continued their talk in the present. Taravax-7 sat in an almost meditative pose with his eyes closed. Taravax-7: Why me in particular? Vida: FWC’s most beloved pet. You are a symbol of what they are. You’re practically a hero to all guardians. Taravax-7: Hardly. I’m nothing like Shaxx or Saladin. Why not go after them? Vida: Do I look like a fool? They may be more popular than you, but they’re a hundred times stronger. Taravax-7: Fighting doesn’t seem to be your game. Not a single fist has been thrown since we’ve met. Strength isn’t the issue. Vida slowly but angrily paced around Taravax-7 while he sat on the ground. Taravax-7: There’s something about me in particular that you don’t like. Vida paced a little faster. Clearly annoyed with Taravax-7’s reaction to the whole situation. As she passed, Taravax-7 open his eyes and gave Vida’s armor a quick look-over. Taravax-7: So you’re a part of FWC? Vida stopped dead in her tracks. There was a hint of concern behind her anger. Vida: You don’t know that. Taravax-7: That’s an old infinite lines variant. The vex plate covers it up a bit, but there’s still FWC logos on you helmet and gauntlets. Vida: Observant aren’t you? But for all you know, I could have killed another guardian for this armor. Taravax-7: If you were a killer, you would have killed me by now. I’ve come to the conclusion you’re trying to break me, not kill me. Vida: I plan to do both. I want you to suffer a bit before you die. Taravax-7: Normally when someone wants someone else to suffer, there’s a motive. I’m starting to suspect I may have wronged you in some way. Before you became taken that is. Vida: All this analytical power and you still can’t figure out a way to save your friends. I’m sure they’d be yelling at you to get up and do something right now, instead of sitting in the dirt doing nothing. Taravax-7: Maybe you’re right. A short silence fell on the two. Vida was less angry and resumed pacing around Taravax-7. Vida: You seem worried. Taravax-7: You’d be correct. Vida: Are you afraid of death? Taravax-7: I am at peace with that. Vida: Then why would you need to worry? Taravax-7: I’m not sure that [i]they[/i] are at peace. Vida grinned again. After a long while, Taravax-7 stood up. Taravax-7: I remember you. Vida’s grin immediately disappeared. Taravax-7: I couldn’t be sure, but a cross reference with FWC’s reports confirmed my suspicion. You were the hunter commander of a large FWC fireteam. You were on Mars, trying to rout out a few cabal leaders. You were ambushed. Vida: Shut your mouth! Taravax-7: FWC sent me in with a fireteam to get you out. Vida began to exhume blight. She was visibly angry. She chuckled with a sinister tone. Vida: Yeah, and you were the one that got [b]all[/b] the glory. Not me The one who located the cabal leaders. The one who lead the attack that got the cabal off our backs! Taravax-7: You lost a good few people, but you knew you were walking into a trap. You should have abandoned the mission. Vida: And let FWC’s prized dog get all the credit- NO WAY! Vida slowly walked toward Taravax-7. He slowly back up toward the cleansing circle to keep some distance between him and her. Vida: FWC never gave me a chance, not like they did for you. I was going to prove to them that I could be the best. Better than you! That I could be better than everyone else! Taravax-7: You’re too impulsive when it comes to battlefield decisions. When you’re leading a team like that, you can’t just run in and shoot everything. You don’t know how to slow down and analyze the field. That’s why I was sent in. Vida: If [b]you’re[/b] so good with analytics, then why haven’t you saved your friends yet, huh? Vida’s hand gradually turned into a blade of sorts. Taravax-7 came to a sudden stop. Taravax-7: I knew how to save them the instant you teleported, them. I just needed to know who you were and why you did this. Vida’s face went from angry to dread. She noticed Taravax-7 was standing next to the machine she stood by when Spitfire first entered the vault. She quickly lunged at Taravax-7 and tried to stab him, but his ghost materialized Darkdrinker into his hands. With a quick swing, he knocked Vida’s strike off course and quickly destroyed the machine. Two containment fields appeared, both holding Yuri and Iris. They quickly got to work on destroying the fields. Vida got up and took another swing at Taravax-7. With great speed and precision, he cut off Vida’s blade then thrusted Darkdrinker into her chest. She fell and started fading away. Iris and Yuri broke the fields and rushed over to Taravax-7. Yuri: What’d we miss? Taravax-7: I’ll explain later. Are you two okay? Yuri: No. actually, I’m not okay. I just spent the past, what felt like a year, jumping across teleporting platforms while getting the [b]hell[/b] shot outta me by what I can only assume are the best damned snipers in space and time! Taravaxx-7: Well, you’re alive. How about you Iris? Iris: Pretty...uneventful. I spent a while in a very small room with a severed descendant head. Taravax-7: I’m just glad you’re safe. Iris: What about you? Who was that, guardian? Taravax-7 explained everything to Yuri and Iris as they left the vault. When they got back to the tower, they split up again. Taravax-7 went to see Lakshmi-2 to tell her about Vida. Lakshmi-2: Yes. I always worried about that one. She was very ambitious. Perhaps too ambitious. She spoke of you with great distaste. However, I had considered putting her in a fireteam with you. I had hoped she could learn from you. But after that incident on Mars, she walked the path of a lone wolf. Taravax-7: But as I understand it, she did pretty good on her own. Lakshmi-2: That is true. She pulled off a few great feats on her own. Taravax-7: Will she be given a ceremony? Lakshmi-2: It is best we remember those we've lost for the good that they have done. Taravax-7: Agreed. Please send me word of when it will be. I'd like to be there for it. Lakshmi-2: As you wish. Remember your mark of mourning. You are dismissed. Taravax-7 left and went to the vanguard hall to share the report with Ikora. For now, the team could rest and prepare for the next threat that may rear it’s ugly head. Well...except for Yuri...and Cayde-6….and the fallen... [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/226596780]Next Part: Free Day[/url] [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/224664021]Previous part: The Guardian in the Well[/url] [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/214985095]To the collection:[/url]