Chapter Text
When would Ahava’s expectations be met and not twisted and discarded like empty drink boxes? She didn’t know what to expect after everything on the moon, dealing with all of that without Crow’s intel and insight. It all felt off.
Off. Despite the victory that she had helped procure with her fireteam.
The Young Wolf had said her goodbyes to Sol and Arin in the silence of the Moon after the pressure from leaving the Mindscape and watching the Psions leave left the air. She was the last one to transmat out. The last one onto her ship.
She expected to be summoned to the HELM. That was met with the furious summons by Lord Saladin and, for once, she was kinda grateful his anger and disappointment was leveled at someone other than her for once… Even though it was pointed at Crow now. For his silence and disappearance when needed.
Sighing, Ahava directed Nope to get them to the HELM ASAP before Saladin lost a gasket on them or worse.
Her thoughts were rolling over themselves these past few weeks, especially in regards to Crow. There was something going on with him. More than just then just the memories of his past messing with him… But, what if it was?
Anger bristled at the edges of her vision. Anger with herself and at everything. The anger that always seemed to settle too heavy when the fights never seem to quit. How could it not be Crow’s past causing him to question the Vanguard’s every move? Forgetting everything he’s been told in favor of sympathy.
Mercy masquerading as sympathy and empathy.
Ahava sighed heaving into the quiet of what little room her ship afforded her and shook off her Ghost’s concern with a silent shake of the head. Instead of letting her anger stew and worsen, she decided to use it with what little time she had before transmat to clean her armor and weapons. Cleaning Hive gunk off surfaces was a good distraction.
She was just clipping the last of her now clean armor pieces back on when Nope flitted to her shoudler and shined his little light onto her furrowed brow. His normal happy upbeat lilt softer and less intrusive.
“We’re home. Lord Saladin told us to meet for the debrief in the Psisorium.” He spoke and she sighed again, rolling her shoulders.
“Let’s not call the HELM ‘home’, Nope. Let’s get this done and over with. Perhaps he won’t yell for too long at Crow.”
He bounced once in affirmative and in a shower of soft light Ahava was in transmat and the next blink she was in the silent main hub of the HELM. The only noise from the Vanguard frames across the way.
She clicked her tongue in their direction and begun on her way down to the rendez-vous point with Saladin. Expected to meet Crow at the entrance like usual. No… Why would he be there when he’s been MIA the entire OP? The last flight of stairs into that large circular room was a long one and one she wished she had refused to take.
“Oh no…” was Nope’s little swear of trepidation and one Ahava felt to her core.
They were halfway down those stairs and they could see and feel something was off even before it was clear. The sounds of shooting sparks were the only noise and then, all she could see for a moment was that Crow was here and on his knees.
Then, as everything leveled off everything hit Ahava like an Arc Titan in the Crucible at high speed.
Caiatl’s psion slumped over in a lifeless slump. The Lucent Hive tanks dead and dark. And, last of all Crow just a few feet away from her hunched in on himself on the floor. Ahava was no genius, just lucky and damn good at taking whatever shots came her way but, this was an easy puzzle to figure out.
And, she hated figuring it out.
Before Ahava could gather her thoughts or catch her voice around her heart that had taken residence in her throat, the telltale glitter of transmat signaled Lord Saladin’s arrival.
Lord Saladin’s very angry arrival.
“What happened, Crow?!” Was the greeting that came out of the old Iron Lord’s mouth.
Everything just seemed like a blur to Ahava as it came to a head between the two. Crow defiant in that he was doing the right thing. Lord Saladin beyond angry and even disappointed. All she could focus on was the dead psion still slumped over the arm of their seat. Lifeless.
The reprecussions of this… It was churning through her head at lightspeed, over and over, like a deranged painful hamster on an exercise wheel. There was no telling what the Empress would demand in punishment for this. There wasn’t even a way of saying if this tenous truce could be salvaged after Crow’s bleeding heart. She, herself, already injured it like a predator on a straggling infant with the cannon. It was only Caiatl’s good graces, her own decent manners, and Commander Zavala’s knack for diplomacy that saved her own hide.
Could they save Crow’s hide?
“… I hope the Vanguard can survive your conscience…” said Saladin who transmatted out of the room without even glancing at Ahava.
Then, she turned to Crow with his hands grasping at his head looking at her and pleading. “… you understand? Don’t you…” he pleaded and the Young Wolf was glad her helmet was on as she remained silent and watched her friend, clearly struggling, leave not even seconds after her own mentor.
What was to happen now? What could she do?
There wasn’t anything she could do. Just like every other time and a half.