The Vanguard were currently meeting around a table, discussing current events, where to allocate resources, and what to do if the guardian they sent doesn't make it back. Zavala's face was set into a grimace as he poured over reports, looming over them. Ikora was leaning back against a wall, contemplating something. Damned Warlocks and their contemplating. Cayde, meanwhile, was sat on a chair with his feet kicked up on the table, while gently stroking Colonel, his chicken.

Zavala palmed his face and straightened his back, turning to address Cayde. "Cayde, this is serious! We cannot be certain that the Guardian we sent will be successful on their mission."

Cayde raised a not-brow. "Can't we? They already took Oryx down once. How hard can the second time be?"

Ikora raised a brow in return. "Cayde, you do realize that Oryx would be much stronger within his Throne World, don't you?" She walked over to the table and took a seat. "The odds are not in their favor, Cayde."

Cayde scoffed. "Yeah, well, folding isn't an option, never was." Cayde stopped stroking Colonel and raised both of his hands. "Way I see it, there are two things that can happen." Cayde pointedly looks at his left hand. "My greatest success story gives Oryx a taste of his own murderous medicine, or-" Cayde looks at his right hand. "-they fail, get brutally murdered, and we get stuck in a war that even if we win, will ruin us." Cayde goes back to petting Colonel. "No point in getting stressed over it."

Zavala's eyes widened incredulously "No point getting stressed? Cayde, this is a matter of life or death! If we plan for that possibility, we may still be able to win, and have it not be a pyrrhic victory!"

Before Cayde could respond, the intercom burst to life.

"Commander Zavala!" A panicked voice yelled. "The Dreadnaught has just appeared in orbit over the City!"

Cayde fell out of his chair, Colonel squawking all the way down, Ikora shot out of her chair in shock, and Zavala froze for a moment, before responding.

"What are the casualties!" Zavala was in overdrive. The Guardian had failed, and it seems Oryx has taken exception to the attempt on his life and has come to kill them in one fell swoop.

"None, sir!" That stopped Zavala short. "It's not attacking, in fact, it's sending a request for us to open our comms!"

Cayde, from his position on the ground, spoke up, raising his head. "What are you waiting for then! Opening those comms may be the last thing between us and a slow, horrific, and incredibly painful death!"

"Yes sir!" And it cut off. Cayde groaned, and let his head fall to the ground

Ikora slightly calmer now, turned to address Cayde. "I thought there was no point getting stressed."

Cayde groaned again, louder. "Just because I don't fear death doesn't mean I particularly want to die." He paused to pet Colonel a bit. "And that this will also kill everyone here if we screw it up. I think now is about the time to start getting stressed."

Before the conversation could continue, they were interrupted. Again. This time, coming from the Dreadnaught.

"Hello? Is this thing on?" A very familiar voice began. "I'm just going to assume that it is." The voice was that of the Ghost of the guardian that they sent. "Well, I should probably explain what's going on."

"That… That would be a good place to start." Zavala said, clearly very lost.

"Oh, so this thing is on. If only I knew how it worked…" Ghost said, mumbling. "Anyways, I am glad to report that Oryx is dead, killed by my Guardian's hand." The ghost said, a bragging note to their voice.

"That's great!" Cayde replied. "But that does not explain why the Dreadnaught is hovering over the City!"

"Well, about that…" Despite there being no video, the Vanguard could practically see the Ghost nervously looking from side to side. "My Guardian used the Sword-Logic in order to kill Oryx." Before the Vanguard could respond, the Ghost continued. "And well, they weren't able to cut off their connection to it fast enough, so they uh…" The Ghost trailed off, and while Zavala and Cayde were still confused, realization dawned on Ikora. "They kind of slightly became the King of the Hive."

Zavala did not respond. In fact, it looked like you could stab Zavala right now and he would not respond. Ikora just held her head in her hands, entirely done with everything. Cayde started laughing.

"Wow, that's a great joke! Haha, you sure got me!" He laughed a bit more. "… Please tell me you're joking."

"I'm afraid that I'm not." The Ghost said, sounding resigned.

Cayde's gaze went empty, before refocusing. "At least we're still alive." Cayde shrugged. "Well!" Cayde stood up. "I'm going to go try to get myself drunk. Let's go, Colonel." With that, Cayde left, and Colonel followed him with a squawk.

Zavala snapped out of his stupor. "Can we talk to them?" He asked, deliberately calm.

"Nope." Ghost said, popping the P. "They're a bit busy dealing with the court, and something called an Ahamkara? And all the Taken. They've got a lot on their plate."

"I… see." Zavala did not, in fact, see, but he didn't really have many other choices but to accept that this was happening now. "I'm going to go explain what is happening to the rest of the Guardians." He paused. "And the Speaker too. He needs to know about this." Zavala then stood up and left.

Ikora pinched the bridge of her nose. "You aren't interrupting the Moon's orbit, yes?"

"No, we're not."

"Good. I'm going too." Ikora stood up and left.

Ghost kept the comms open for a bit longer, and then closed them. Letting out a sight of relief, he began talking.

"Thank the Traveler that went well." His shell spun around. "I just hope that rest of this will go even half as well." He said, turning to face the Guardian, who nodded in return. Between the Riven of a thousand voices, Oryx's sisters, the Taken, the Deep, the Ascendant Hive, and the rest of the Hive, they had their work cut out for them. The Guardian sighed. Things are going to get much weirder from here on out, they just knew it.