Tesni cringed as she saw the high caliber sniper round tear through Natela\u2019s side. The Hunter, almost twenty years her junior, staggered and fell, but to Tesni\u2019s surprise she threw herself into the fall and managed to roll behind one of the First Light complex\u2019s smaller gold-glassed geodesic domes. For the next few seconds the younger woman waited, holding her side, obviously in pain, but then she got back into a crouch and held her hand cannon at the ready.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m fine\u2026 It hurt, but I\u2019m fine,\u201d the Hunter said over their radio link. Maybe she was learning after all!<\/p>\n
\u201cTwo are advancing on you,\u201d Tesni relayed. \u201cI pinged the one on the left a couple of times before they forced my head down\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI see them on the tracker. They\u2019re mine,\u201d Natela said with confidence.<\/p>\n
Tesni couldn\u2019t help but smile as her teammate put away her hand gun and pulled out her knife. Despite her youth and inexperience, there were still few more skilled with an Arc Blade that Natela Tamaya Murk. The already brightly lit lunar landscape surrounding the Hunter became a bit brighter still as her blade flashed then glowed with focused Arc Light. Natela waited and waited, then threw herself around the corner. Her two pursuers tried to ready their weapons, but they were far too slow. Natela blinked forward and slashed into the nearer Guardian. He vanished in an instant. The other had quicker reflexes. He managed to throw a grenade at her feet, but she evaded it and struck him down as well. Both he and his colleague reappeared on the far side of the lunar habitat a few moments later barely comprehending what’d just happened.<\/p>\n
\u201cVery good\u2026\u201d Tesni congratulated her ward, but a familiar, ominous sound cut short any further praise. \u201cInterceptor!\u201d she warned a second before the first of its rockets detonated beside her. Her shield and heavy armor ablated the majority of the explosion, but that only gave Tesni enough time to turn and catch a glimpse of the rocket that would end her current life. Natela didn\u2019t fare any better. Out of position after her successful knife attacks, she was easy prey for the small hovering tank.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know you\u2019re pretty good about watching my back,\u201d Natela complained after the match ended, \u201cbut we really need to find someone to watch yours!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just a loss,\u201d Tesni replied as they waited for the Anastasia to arrive from orbit. “Sometimes we\u2019re going to lose. How well you did personally, how you acted and reacted, is what matters right now. Besides, I already told you I\u2019m working on it\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve said that before\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
That evening, Natela received an invitation from an Abner 4c6173746e616d65 inviting her to lunch at a restaurant on one of the lower levels of The Tower. She was going to delete it, but thought better of it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho is this?\u201d Natela had sent to her mentor, forwarding the message to her.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbner is a very old, very skilled Exo with deep connections,\u201d Tesni had replied. \u201cIf he is inviting you to something it must be important. Plan to go.\u201d<\/p>\n
Two days later, Natela arrived at the appropriate location at the appropriate time only to find Tesni waiting there for her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know this Warlock,\u201d Tesni said, explaining her presence. \u201cHe is very\u2026 in it for himself. I didn\u2019t feel comfortable with you meeting with him without me. He\u2019d be willing to mess with you, but not so much with me around.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThanks\u2026 I think. I was a little nervous,\u201d Natela admitted. Together, they entered the restaurant and located Abner waiting at a small circular table set next to a large window overlooking The City. He stood as they approached, giving them each a small, polite bow, though his gaze remained fixed on Tesni.<\/p>\n
\u201cNatela, this is Abner,\u201d Tesni said by way of introductions. \u201cWe\u2019ve worked together out in the field before. We don\u2019t always see eye to eye, but he is good in a firefight,\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAs are you, Ms. Jarmila. I did not expect you to be here though. Still looking out for those around you, I see,\u201d the Exo replied, his tone conveying his admiration and distrust of her where his unmoving robotic face could not. \u201cSit, both of you,\u201d he insisted. \u201cWe cannot do any business unless you sit.\u201d<\/p>\n
The two women pulled up chairs and sat. As they did, a waiter quickly stopped by and left the two of them glasses of tea.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe service is prompt here. I like it,\u201d he said as he retook his own seat. \u201cNow then, I hear you are looking for a third to enter into those games<\/em> with you. Tesni, I have told you many times what I think of the Crucible have I not and yet you still come to me with this?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou invited us,\u201d Tesni said flatly.<\/p>\n \u201cTechnically, I invited her,\u201d Abner replied correctly.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you think of it\u2026The Crucible?\u201d Natela couldn’t help asking, despite the tension at the table.<\/p>\n \u201cLittle light, I have lived a very long time. While your mentor here was relaxing blissfuly on a beach I was hard at work for the benefit of others. My life was not my own and my choices were not mine to make. I will not allow such a thing to happen again. My choice, currently, is to not fight for the enjoyment of others.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re a Guardian. Fighting for others is what we<\/em> do,\u201d Natela replied, a little more sharply than she had intended.<\/p>\n \u201cFor others, for ourselves. There will always be wars to fight,\u201d Abner said, dismissing her comment.<\/p>\n \u201cNot if we work together to end them!\u201d Natela exclaimed over his more gently spoken words.<\/p>\n \u201cAh, you are as feisty as I hear you are,\u201d Abner commented. \u201cI am surprised though that you do not follow in the opinions<\/em> of the legend here,\u201d he said knowingly, turning back to Tesni. \u201cHoarding supplies and running away is still the best option, is it not?\u201d he asked her, a slight goad evident in his voice. The blue skinned Titan shook her head.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t come here to debate with you, Abner. We lost two Guardians last month, one was a friend of mine. If Natela had been up to speed we might have lost none. They trained her like any of us, but she is not like us. She\u2019s learning, but she doesn\u2019t have the combat experience you and I had\u2026 from before<\/em>\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI see,\u201d Abner said softly, noting how the previously high spirited Hunter shrank back into her chair at the reference to her mistakes.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s an uphill battle trying to teach her and fend for myself at the same time,\u201d Tesni continued. \u201cThey aren\u2019t exactly going easy on me in there\u2026 So, no more of your \u2018I hears.\u2019 If you are offering to help us then say so. Otherwise we will be on our way.\u201d<\/p>\n The robed Exo tilted his head slightly as if in thought then addressed Natela once more. \u201cI hear<\/em>,\u201d he said with a quick glance back to Tesni, \u201cthat you fight for the health of your sister, correct?\u201d The tone of his voice said he would have been smiling cryptically if he\u2019d\u00a0been able.<\/p>\n \u201cHow did you? I haven\u2019t even told\u2026\u201d Natela blurted before wisely covering her mouth.<\/p>\n \u201cSo then, it\u2019s true? Fascinating.\u201d Abner said simply. \u201cI will help you,\u201d he said to Tesni.<\/p>\n \u201cWait\u2026 You will?\u201d Natela asked in surprise.<\/p>\n \u201cVery few of us have anything but the most distant of family, if that, Little Light. And very few of us fight solely for the benefit of others, yet you do. For that you should be rewarded, and for that I will help teach you how to remain alive<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026And what do you get out of it?\u201d Natela asked, eyes narrowing in suspicion. Tesni locked eyes with the Warlock as well, silently seconding the question.<\/p>\n \u201cPerceptive, isn\u2019t she?\u201d Abner asked Tesni after a tense moment. She could hear the slight smile in his voice.<\/p>\n \u201cShe can be,\u201d Tesni responded coldly. \u201cThe answer?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFWC has heard rumors of a prize on Venus. If I do this for you then you, and you,\u201d he said looking to Tesni then Natela, “will help me claim it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s the prize?\u201d Tesni asked.<\/p>\n \u201cA Vault of Glass.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Tesni cringed as she saw the high caliber sniper round tear through Natela\u2019s side. The Hunter, almost twenty years her junior, staggered and fell, but to Tesni\u2019s surprise she threw herself into the fall and managed to roll behind one of the First Light complex\u2019s smaller gold-glassed geodesic domes. For the next few seconds the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[108,107,99,106,110],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/destiny.bungie.org\/fanfic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/811"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/destiny.bungie.org\/fanfic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/destiny.bungie.org\/fanfic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/destiny.bungie.org\/fanfic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/destiny.bungie.org\/fanfic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=811"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/destiny.bungie.org\/fanfic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/811\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":813,"href":"https:\/\/destiny.bungie.org\/fanfic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/811\/revisions\/813"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/destiny.bungie.org\/fanfic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=811"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/destiny.bungie.org\/fanfic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=811"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/destiny.bungie.org\/fanfic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=811"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}