Hey Guys! Hope you all had a good Holiday and New Year! Sorry for the delay in this chapter, as you all know the holidays can be crazy and between my own business and my Beta's it took a while to get this polished. Thanks as always to my Beta Qrow as well as everyone who takes the time to read abd review!

On with the story!


Entry Log 91 - 00:45:26

The feed has been going for a while now, nearly twenty minutes of a Vanguard meeting that Cayde's said his few words about and then spent a portion of it not paying attention as Ikora goes off on a tangent about the Vex. He blinks a few times as she stops, closing the book in her hand with a harsh snap, making the Exo finch slightly. Zavala rubs his eyes with a forefinger and thumb, looking back over the data they've collected about Mars thanks to Haar-2's mapping work over the last few months.

"I'm beginning to truly understand why Osiris was so pinpointed on their movements, the Vex are up to something, that much is certain, but as to what we can't truly be sure." He looks to his teammates. "How are things going so far on Phobos?"

"We don't have a lot of intel on the moon yet," Cayde admits. "The fortress is heavily armed and with all the new construction appearing to take place it's hard for even a hunter to get in easily."

"Agreed," Ikora states with a sharp nod, placing her hands on the table, a finger dragging over the edge of it. "I'm having Winter look into it at the moment, as I'm sure you know," she informed the commander, who gave a small nod of his head. "Hopefully she'll have something viable soon." As one of the oldest members of Ikora's Hidden, the warlock was sure to find something.

"I suppose that ends our meeting for today then," Zavala concludes after a glance from one to the other. "Good work."

"Go team!" Cayde cheers half heartedly in reply and Iroka rolls her eyes, but continues to give him a look of mild interest. After a few moments the Exo can't seem to help himself. "What?"

"You've been rather quiet lately," the warlock points out, rifling through a stack of books. "Something bother you?" she's concerned, that's clear in her questioning tone, but the Exo seems unhappy about answering, shifting his gaze away towards the camera.

"Just have a lot on my mind I guess." He leaves it at that and while his two teammate exchange a look, neither of them push him on it. It's only a few minutes later on the time clock that the footsteps of someone walking down the stairs is heard. Panning to look to the entrance, Skylar appears moments later with her attention on securing a buckle on what appears to be a new chest piece. It's sharply colored in her normal dark blue and orange ensemble and glows with nearly a dozen welded on red eyes that appear alive at a glance. Her hands drop to her sides as she reaches the end of the stairs and walks up to the table, camera panning wide to look at the scene.

Cayde seems hesitant at first but quickly shakes off whatever is bothering him, moving forward to take a data screen file from her as she hold it out. "You can strike one more Fallen trying to gain ranks into Kell off your list," Skylar informs him, a smirk gracing her lips. "Thing never knew what hit it, left his followers scrambling for the ships."

Cayde nodded his head, clicking through the screen to look over her notes. "You always snag the high risk Fallen bounties don't you?" he mused curiously, glancing at her. Skylar meets his eyes with a look of quiet resolve that's somehow laced with longing and the Exo looks quickly back at the data.

"I've never liked The Fallen," she agreed. "There's a weird sense of satisfaction I get from taking them down. Can't tell you why though. Just a feeling." She shrugged her shoulders and her Ghost, Sterling, hummed as if in agreement as he floated over one shoulder.

"Right..." Cayde murmurs, and clicks a few more things on the pad before setting it down. "Glimmer should be in your account." It's short, to the point, and all three people around him catch that something is off. The lack of teasing and boasting is a dead giveaway and Skylar eyes him quietly, pressing her lips together into a thin line. She waits another long minute, as if waiting for him to say something more, than brushes her hand through what seems to be freshly trimmed hair, probably done with her own knife.

Then, all at once she turns her attention to the Warlock at the table. "Ikora?" Her sudden nervous undertone gets not only the human's attention, but the other two as well, though Cayde seems to be trying to act otherwise. The warlock tilts her head and smiles at the amber haired woman.

"Yes Guardian?" Curiosity is mingled in the normally wise toned leader and Skylar seems to hesitate again. Glancing back over to Cayde for a second as he stares down at the maps on the table, one of his hands fiddling with a pair of dice. Then she glances at Sterling who blinks a few times and nudges her shoulder gently. She closes her eyes for a moment and then looks back at the dark skinned warlock.

"I'd like to accept your offer from before. About becoming one of the Hidden."

The sound of the dice clattering onto the table is sharp in the suddenly stunning silent room. Even the few officers and Frames in the room have gone quiet. All three leaders look surprised though in different ways. Zavala seems most accepting of the choice if his small smile is anything to go by. Ikora's smile simply widens, pleased, though clearly still surprised by the hunter's bluntness.

The camera focuses on Cayde for a moment and the Exo seems frozen at the news, his dice and maps left forgotten on the table as he stares at the hunter he's personally trained for two years. It's rather easily to tell she hadn't mentioned this to him before, hadn't told him in advance of her choice. Skylar, surprisingly, completely ignores him as Ikora steps closer to her.

"Are you sure?" The warlock asks, and this time there is no hesitation, just a firm, single nod of her head. Ikora returns the gesture, her hands clasping behind her back in thought. "Very well. Return here in a few hours once normal Vanguard duties are done. We will speak more of this then Skylar."

"Thank you," she says softly and after one more glance about the room, eyes lingering just a second longer on her mentor's form, she turns on her heels and leaves the room, cloak fluttering behind her. Cayde watches her go, mouth slightly ajar as the feed zooms in, Sundance moving closer to her partner.

"Cayde..." the Ghost begins and that snaps him out of his stupor, shaking his head and blinking.

"Wait just one… Skylar, get your ass back here!" he demanded, but his rookie was too far down the hall now to hear him - or she's ignoring him - and the Exo huffs. He glances at his teammates and then moves after her. "I'll be right back."

The camera flickers to both of them, but neither looks surprised. In fact, Zavala almost looks pleased at his departure as the screen flickers back to the Exo as he hurries after Skylar. He catches up with her back on the main plaza floor, the sun halfway through its journey in the sky, partly covered by thick graying clouds. She's turning towards the corridor to head to the bazaar when he grabs her shoulder to stop her, looking just slightly panicked and worried. She stops instantly, turning to look at him, a brow raised but worry etching her features as well.

"Would you hold on a sec?" he huffs and then tugs her off to the side of the entrance for more privacy. She follows him, if only to not make a scene as guardians and workers pass by. Once they're behind a pile of stacked boxes, the human leaning against them with her arms crossed as Cayde's dropped his hand from them. He gives her an exasperated look, one that really makes the plating on his face move to look right. "What the hell was that?"

Skylar tilts her head and frowns slightly before shrugging her shoulders. "What? We've talked about it before and you said yourself it might be a good change of pace."

"But you never told me you were going to. We should have talked about this more, it's a big decision-"

"You haven't really been much for conversation lately," Skylar cuts in, frown pulling tighter on her face. Cayde quite nearly flinches at her tone as she goes on. "It's something I've been thinking about a lot okay? It's what I want. Plus I… I kind of figured it would make it easier on you." Her eyes drop from his gaze, wandering off to the side as she worries at her lower lip, agitated. "You've been avoiding me… and you've clearly been distracted since last week at the poker game." While she doesn't say it out right, it's easy to tell that both parties know what she's talking about. Any chance that Skylar had been too intoxicated to remember went up in smoke, and Cayde's metal features soften slightly as he looks at her.

Three minutes tick my in silence before the normally cocky hunter finds a way to get his mouth to work again.

"You haven't done anything wrong Sky," he starts off, shifting his weight as he steps slightly closer to her, though a good two feet still seems like a mile with both of their tense postures. "I didn't mean to make it seem like you did I just… I need time to think all of this over. Honestly I think you fried my processors," he jokes, but it sounds off, tired and forced. Still, her frown weakens and she relaxes slightly.

"I'm aware. It wasn't how I'd planned on- doing that -but I don't regret it you know." She looks back at him, frown turning to a small crooked smile. She's tired too, the long bounty mission catching up with her. Suprise lights Cayde's face, the gentle flicker of gold in his throat bouncing off his jaw as he opens it slightly as if to speak. She beats him to it. "As for who we are, yeah, I'm aware. It's part of the reason I took the offer, not the main reason, but a perk maybe."

She's talking about how scandalous it might appear to be with her mentor, and that changing her field would help solve that problem. If she wasn't under his direct orders then maybe people would see it as more normal. There's a long beat of silence where Cayde seems to think over her words and then once he has, all he seems to have to say is: "Oh..." Another moment, and his are eyes shifting about, anxiety over the conversation getting to him. "I'm just not-"

"It's alright," Skylar cuts in again, her voice sincere as she pushes off from the boxes and lifts an uncrossed arm. She wavers for a moment, hand lifting towards his face as if to touch the side of it before she seems to think better and rests it on his shoulder instead. "Nothing has to change if you don't want it too. I did kind of throw it in your face, doesn't mean you have to agree. Either way, I couldn't really be your rookie forever," she pointed out smirking now and Cayde blinks a few times before slowly the tension leaves his shoulders and he lifts a hand to cover her own.

"Yeah… Okay maybe it's time I retired that name." He chuckles slightly shaking his head. "Have to think of a new one," his almost normal teasing is back and the both of them lose whatever tension is keeping their backs too straight and Skylar smiles softly, closing her eyes for a moment and taking in a breath. Cayde watches her, glowing blue eyes thoughtful as they trace the marking across her lids. She's not all that happy about how things have gone, anyone who knows her can see that, but she's accepted it either way. He knows that, and after a moment looks at the camera, at his Ghost, as if looking for help. He seems to get some kind of assurance from her and after a moment, he squeezes the hand under his own. "Come on, looks like you could use some food. My treat."

The huntress had barely opened her eyes, her reply nearly voiced when a sharp ping rings over the speakers of the feed and catches both guardian's attention. Hands are dropped and Cayde turns to look at his partner.

"What's up Sundance?" he questions, the sound was that of an alert, one that puts both hunters on edge instantly again. The picture flickers as the Ghost blinks twice.

"I've just received an urgent communication from field agent Tevis," she informs him. "Should I open the channel?" At her explanation Skylar gives the Exo a worried look, one that he takes with all the authority of a leader and keeps his expression calm. Still, it's not hard to see this is a very strange event.

"Go ahead."

A sharp buzzing sounds off on the speakers, too close and too loud. Static is filling the air as choppy words filter though. "C-Cayde? This i-is Tevis. Co-me in." Recognition isn't needed, but his voice is nearly panicked through the static and both hunters realise that instantly. Cayde nods, even though his friend can't see him.

"Yeah, I'm here Tev, what's wrong?" He doesn't have a teasing line, maybe he knows better than to think Tevis would call in the middle of a frontier mission unless he has too. More static filters though, the distant sound of gunfire and a metal screech. Skylar winces, jaw locking together.

"Som-ethings wrong. V-ex movement-t-" It cuts out again and a rough skidding down echos over the mic. "I n-eed backup! Coordinates S-sent."

Concern flashes over Cayde's features noticeable in the way his jaw tilts and his eyes dim slightly and he looks over to Skylar who had gone stock still, pale under her blue markings. Tevis never asks for help. Never. The moment their eyes connect she unfreezes in an instant, blinking and flickering her gaze from the screen to her long time friend. Something passed between them unspoken as static rolls over the speakers like waves. Then the amber haired woman gives a nod of her head, whatever exhaustion she is feeling pushed behind her training.

"Send me those coordinates, I'm on my way," she instructs quickly, her Ghost appearing in a flicker of Light at his name. "Sterling, transfer FWC's rocket launcher from my vault. I think I'll need the firepower." She's going into mission mode quickly, her helmet appearing in her hand at a silent gesture. She turns to leave but her name on Cayde's vocals stop her and they lock eyes once more. He hesitates only a moment, the uncommon look of seriousness perches on his face.

"Be careful Skylar." Is all he says, but something about how he says it with such a quiet tone and a worried edge seems to mean more. Words left unsaid for a conversation that seems too unimportant now, but really is. Later, it says, because there has to be a later for them, and she really has to make it back from whatever is going on. Because they really need to talk about whatever is going on between them. She gives him a small smile and nods, understanding, before she Blink Steps back into the plaza area, the beginning of a radio conversation with Amanda lost as she heads towards the hanger with hurried steps.

Cayde watches her for another second before turning to his partner again. "Tevis? You still there? Helps on the way, hold on." His words are only answered by more stadic and the hunter curses under his breath, the feed zooming in as his partner nears him. "Turn off the recording, maybe that's interfering. Tevis, can you read me?"

The video fades quick on command, the sounds of Cayde's footsteps as he begins to move and his unanswered words lingering in the darkness like an echo in a cave.


Welp, we all knew this was coming and it still broke my heart to do so. Prepair for all the angst.

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Let me know what you think!