(I'm still here.)
(Or:
3. Inq hasn't bothered to have Ma'carn reply, when almost every character is waiting on a response from him.)
Pariah eyed Ma'carn warily, but eventually gave him a curt nod before introducing herself. "Pariah. De-facto leader of... what's left of the Disciples of Osiris here on Mercury."
“If the Hive were here, we’d have a full house,” Avori noted, with a slight chuckle. He continued fiddling with the Cetus’ innards until suddenly he connected two sparking wires, causing several cables connected to the power core to glow a bright white. The Cetus and its time game remained inactive, but presumably they would be activated when Avori connected the last remaining cable.
“Aha! Got it!” He shouted to nobody in particular. Then, he addressed Arxus. “I think I should be able to activate this thing on demand now, Arxus. Waiting on your go-ahead.”
“We can’t confirm the kill?” Avori’s Ghost again sounded worried. “How will we know if it’s successful? We can’t leave here just hoping we got it?”
The Ghost was interrupted by Ma’carn’s greeting. Although he did not stop work on his task of jury-rigging the Cetus, Avori looked up to watch the Harvester land.
“Much appreciated, Ma’carn,” Avori responded over the same open channel that Ma’carn has broadcasted on. “We’re going to need all the help we can get...”
"What of Fenrir and the Cabal?" Avori asked.
"More importantly, what about extraction?" Avori's Ghost added. "How are we going to get back out once the bomb's armed - and then back in to confirm the kill?"
"Let's figure out how to get this portal open, then," Avori said. He grabbed the power core he'd ripped out of the downed Cetus earlier, then approached the fallen behemoth. "Right, it doesn't look too difficult to reattach this. Then - hopefully - the portal will reopen and we can throw the bomb through."
The Hunter set about re-integrating the core he'd ripped out of the Vex, he asked Arxus: "What's our play, boss?"
"Well, anything they could offer would be appreciated," Avori reponded absentmindedly as he stared at the Cabal ship. He then added: "Anyone know how to hail a Cabal ship?"
"That is probably a matter best left to Fenrir," Avori's Ghost reminded him. "Even if you could get their attention, I don't think it would be wise to approach them if they don't know you."
“Oh, hell yeah! It’s showtime!” Avori exclaimed upon seeing the completed bomb. He opened COMMs with Argus again. “Scythe, our bomb’s done and we’re ready to head in. How far out are you?”
“If your friends aren’t here by the time we’re geared up, we go in without them,” Pariah warned Avori. “There’s no margin for error here - we can’t waste any time.”
“I’m well aware, Pariah.”
As he waited for a response from Scythe, Avori turned his attention to the Cabal warship that dominated the skyline. It had reached the Lighthouse and slowed to a halt, but so far, it had done nothing besides sending out a few Raptor squadrons to patrol.
"Hanging up on the Vanguard," Avori surmised. "Now that's something I never thought I'd do..."
"So, does this mean we've officially gone rogue?" Avori's Ghost asked, nervously.
"Only 'til we defeat the Mind," Avori responded. "After that, we'll be welcomed back as heroes, I imagine - if we survive."
"That's a big if..."
"Zavala, I respect you - believe me, I really do," Avori began. "But we didn't call to get permission; we simply called to tell you. We're doing this, whether you like it or not."
"Avori... You realise, if you go in there, you'll die," Cayde spoke slowly, uncharacteristic of the usually easy-going and charismatic Hunter Vanguard. "I don't want to lose you too..."
"If we don't, everyone dies," Avori responded. "And Jules' and Catherine's deaths will have been in vain."
(We’re just about wrapping the story up, I’m afraid, meaning the RP would probably be over by the time you properly introduced your character. If we do another Destiny RP after this one, you’re welcome to join that, though.)
“So, you - a handful of Guardians - are going to hand-deliver a bomb into the very center one of the most heavily fortified Vex installations in the system, then just hope you make it out alright?” Cayde asked, rhetorically. He turned off COMMs for a moment, but could clearly be heard through Ikora and Zavala’s microphones saying: “Yeah, they’re dead.”
“We’re more than a handful of Guardians. We’ve got what remains of the Disciples helping us, an entire Fallen house, and even, it seems, a legion of Cabal,” Avori was quick to point out. “And who said anything about hand-delivery?”
“... all of whom are enemies of the City. This is supposed to convince me, how?” Cayde responded.
"Suicidal?" Ikora asked, in a concerned tone. "I don't like where this is going..."
"Ah, relax, Ikora," Cayde butted in. "It's Fireteam Argus! They'll make it back in one piece, no problem." He paused for a moment, before adding: "What actually is it that you're planning?"
“Yeah, that’s a good idea,” Avori responded to his Ghost, more rationally now that the topic had been changed. “Best that we don’t just vanish off the map, if we do fail to-“
Avori cut himself off mid-sentence upon noticing a distant but steadily growing roaring sound. Suspecting a Vex attack, the Hunter grabbed his weapon and cautiously approached the Lighthouse’s entrance. He scanned the surrounding landscape, but there was not a Vex unit in sight. Then, he spotted it not on the ground but in the air; a Cabal warship speeding toward the Lighthouse at a near-reckless velocity.
“Fenrir, you beautiful bastard...” he muttered over COMMs. “Perhaps we might not die today after all.”
"Yeah, we'll make the Vex pay for our losses, and then some," Avori agreed firmly. "We'll storm in there and kill every last one of 'em! The Mind won't know what hit it."
"Shouldn't we let the Vanguard know of our plans before we execute them?" Avori's Ghost asked, with a notable undertone of nervousness, clearly worried by his Guardian's overly agressive talk.
"Shit, yeah..." Avori's eyes widened slightly as he counted the fallen in his head. It was too large to count on a single hand. "If... When we finish this, we should hold a memorial or something for them."
"I'm sure the Vanguard would be happy to accomodate that," His Ghost replied. "If we manage to make it out of this."
Avori walked back in not five minutes after leaving to find weapons; it wasn't difficult to find firearms at the site of a recent battle. The Hunter had acquired himself a scout rifle and a heavy machine gun - both of an average quality - as well as a good amount of ammo for each.
He sat down besides Arxus on a collapsed column, moments before Scythe's reply came in. He responded with: "We've regrouped at the Lighthouse with what's left of the Disciples. They're repairing the bomb as we speak, but it'll be a while before it's done."
"At long last," Avori agreed with Arxus. "I need a break..."
"We should try and make contact with Scythe again in the meantime," Avori's Ghost suggested. "To see how he and Fenrir are faring, and if they'll make it here in time."
"Good idea," Avori said. "But first, I need to find myself some new weapons, since my current ones are sitting in the Mind's stronghold right now."
"You do not own this planet, Pariah. Guardians will return here if and when the need arises, and you have no right to demand that they do not," Avori countered. "However, I myself have no desire to return to this god-forsaken rock. As soon as this business is dealt with, I know precisely where I am going, and you'll be pleased to hear it is far away from here."
"We'll have to go in whatever happens, to confirm the kill," Avori reminded Arxus. "We can't do half measures with the Vex, especially not with all that's at risk."
"Pariah, how long do you think we've got until the bomb's repaired?" His Ghost then asked.