Forsaken Light

Ikora and Zavala

"No response back from Cassidy." Zavala stated as he stares at the data pad in front of him. Ikora paced the room that the Vanguard has converted into the new war room when they need to discuss important topics together.

"This is Cassidy, we are talking about Zavala!" Ikora shouted as her pacing speed increases. She read the report, multiple times in fact and even watched the video that Cassidy's ghost sent more than a handful of times in the past forty five minutes. She was nervous, Cayde was injured and without a ghost, without a way of coming back to life if something happened. She didn't even want to think like that.

The Hunter Vanguard's disappearance meant there was no one reining Cassidy in. She was already prepared to become a rogue guardian with Cayde doing his absolute best to keep her under some semblance of control. If they didn't do something soon, Cayde could be killed and Cassidy would start another war that the guardians didn't need. "She won't respond, she's probably gone rogue already. Right now, our concern should be getting Cayde back." Ikora yelled as Zavala glanced up at the warlock before shaking his head no.

"We should not leave the tower Ikora, we are needed here."

"And do what! Watch as we send unprepared teams into the belly of the beast. They'd be killed by the Scorn barons or by Cassidy herself. Zavala, this is Cayde we are talking about. He's our fireteam member, you'd just willingly let him be killed by Uldren?" Ikora asked as Zavala huffed a breath.

"Our focus should be on finding Cassidy."

"No, our focus should be getting Cayde back. Zavala, without Cayde we won't be able to reason with Cassidy. Without Cayde, Cassidy will go mad and start killing anyone and anything. You know this, you've seen how she is without Cayde." Ikora almost winced at the statement. Cassidy was always a loose cannon always ready to pull the trigger before even a word was uttered. That was something that Cayde did his best to correct, often linking into her ghost to observe the outcome and talking the guardian down when needed. She always listened to him, always took what her Vanguard said without hesitation. If he told her to hold her weapon, you'd bet she'd do it without a single question, even in the heat of conflict. At least that was what she was like before.

After the Red War, however, she started to change. She started to listen less and less, making calls that were more and more questionable. No matter how much Cayde talked to her, she would take his suggestions and then do the opposite. She was rogue already, Ikora often stated, but Cayde refused to believe her. Saying that Cassidy was just a little lost right now, she would get her feet back under her. When a call from Petra came in about the Prison of Elders and that they needed help making certain everyone was still within. Cayde jumped all over it, something that Zavala claimed he shouldn't because it wasn't safe. Cayde ignored him, preparing to face the consequences of his actions at a later date. He wanted to be on the field with Cassidy, perhaps to keep her in her right head, or maybe to stop her from killing everyone there. Ikora didn't know and frankly at this point it wasn't her concern.

"I know Ikora, that is why Cassidy should be our main focus." Zavala informed as he pushed himself away from the table giving the warlock a look of confusion as she just stared at him dumbfounded.

"I can't sit here and argue with you. Cayde could be dead right now, and you don't even bat an eye at that." Ikora growled as Zavala crossed his arms, his armor moaning with the effort.

"Of course I care about Cayde, Ikora. But like you said, Cassidy is probably already rogue. She will start killing guardians if they try to interfere with her plans, we cannot allow her to remain free like that." Zavala reasoned as Ikora started her pacing again her anger rolling off her in waves as she growls to herself. After a few moments she stops, her eyes cast down to the data pad on the table where she left it.

"You do what you must Zavala and I will do what I must." Ikora states as she summons her ghost, the glow of transmatting swirling around her.

"Ikora wait!" Zavala shouts, but it's too late the warlock Vanguard was gone. In her ship, Ikora punches the coordinates into the system locking it in with a whirl and the ship bolts forward into space. The galaxy passes by her in flashes of colors that she isn't registering as she scans over the screen in her ship. She'd be getting there soon, hopefully soon enough to stop whatever the Scorn were planning. She knew that she would be doing this alone, Zavala would never leave the tower, especially without anyone else there to stand in their place. It sort of burned at her to see the titan give such little thought of Cayde, certainly the two never got along overly well but this was madness.

Her system crackles as a fireteam link pops up on her screen. Of course Zavala was trying to stop her, it doesn't surprise her all that much and she rejects the link. A few seconds later it buzzes again and she slides it out of her view before it comes crashing back on the screen.

"Ophiuchus." Ikora calls out to her ghost as it appears in front of her. The black ghost blinks at her, before moving a few of the spikes on its body, letting the traces of a red glow in the light of warping "Please tell Zavala's ghost to leave us alone." Ikora growls as the ghost nods relaying the message.

"He says to pick up the link." Ophiuchus responds as Ikora rolls her eyes but she does accept the link.

"I'm in no mood, Zavala."

"We need to discuss this!"

"There is nothing to discuss. I've made my decision and it appears you have made yours. Therefore this conversation is through." Ikora says as she prepares to flip off the link as a hum rocks her ship. A whoosh sounds beside her as the white and red ship comes flying up and Zavala glances at Ikora through the window.

"You're right, Ikora. I've made my decision, let's go get Cayde back."