Zavala: Difference between revisions

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====Disrupting the Rites====
====Disrupting the Rites====
{{Quote|Join my empire. You'll keep your title and gain a seat on my war council. With my army and your Light, the Cabal will crush the Hive. Then... the Black Fleet. Bow."<br>"No.|Zavala rejecting Caiatl's demand of subjugation}}
{{Quote|Join my empire. You'll keep your title and gain a seat on my war council. With my army and your Light, the Cabal will crush the Hive. Then... the Black Fleet. Bow."<br>"No.|Zavala rejecting Caiatl's demand of subjugation}}
Zavala soon received an invitation from [[Empress Caiatl]], whose fleet of [[Imperial Cabal]] had recently arrived in the Sol System, to meet and discuss the Black Fleet and Hive. Accompanied by Osiris, Zavala met with the Empress and her guards aboard one of their ships. The Empress offered peace between them, but Zavala was skeptical of her intent until she admitted that the Cabal homeworld of [[Torobatl]] had [[Fall of Torobatl|fallen]] to the Hive. Zavala offered his sympathies to her for her loss, but when she offered an alliance, Osiris advised Zavala that the Cabal did not ally but conquer and that Caiatl had betrayed her father Calus and would betray them as well. The Empress called her father soft and stated that he lacked ambition, which humanity did as well, and suggested they would not survive unless Zavala expanded his horizons. She offered for them to join the Cabal Empire and a spot on her [[War Council]] to Zavala, but required them to bow before her. Zavala rejected the offer, and Caiatl's [[Imperial Guard|guards]] immediately prepared for a fight. However, the Empress signaled her guards to stand down and allowed them to leave with a warning that they would meet on the battlefield.<ref name="BB">'''Bungie (2021/2/9)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Chosen]] - [[Battlegrounds]]: [[Behemoth (Battleground)|Behemoth]]''</ref>
Zavala soon received an invitation from [[Empress Caiatl]], whose fleet of [[Imperial Cabal]] had recently arrived in the Sol System, to meet and discuss the Black Fleet and Hive. Accompanied by Osiris, Zavala met with the Empress and her guards aboard one of their ships. The Empress offered peace between them, but Zavala was sceptical of her intent until she admitted that the Cabal homeworld of [[Torobatl]] had [[Fall of Torobatl|fallen]] to the Hive. Zavala offered his sympathies to her for her loss, but when she offered an alliance, Osiris advised Zavala that the Cabal did not ally but conquer and that Caiatl had betrayed her father Calus and would betray them as well. The Empress called her father soft and stated that he lacked ambition, which humanity did as well, and suggested they would not survive unless Zavala expanded his horizons. She offered for them to join the Cabal Empire and a spot on her [[War Council]] to Zavala, but required them to bow before her. Zavala rejected the offer, and Caiatl's [[Imperial Guard|guards]] immediately prepared for a fight. However, the Empress signalled her guards to stand down and allowed them to leave with a warning that they would meet on the battlefield.<ref name="BB">'''Bungie (2021/2/9)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Chosen]] - [[Battlegrounds]]: [[Behemoth (Battleground)|Behemoth]]''</ref>


Returning to the Last City, Zavala met with Ikora, who passed along intelligence that pointed to the [[Imperial Land Tank]] ''[[Halphas Electus]]'' on [[Nessus]] being key to the Caiatl's operations. Zavala dispatched the Young Wolf and other Guardians to strike at the site and gather intelligence. As the battle began, the Young Wolf recovered intelligence revealing that [[Commander Dracus]] was leading the operation. Zavala informed them that Dracus was a former [[Legionary]] of the Red Legion turned warlord and responsible for murdering many Lightless Guardians during the Red War. He ordered them to eliminate Dracus in retribution for those slain Guardians and to deny Caiatl from gaining him as a key commander in her efforts to reintegrate the Red Legion into the Cabal Empire.<ref name="BB"/>
Returning to the Last City, Zavala met with Ikora, who passed along intelligence that pointed to the [[Imperial Land Tank]] ''[[Halphas Electus]]'' on [[Nessus]] being key to the Caiatl's operations. Zavala dispatched the Young Wolf and other Guardians to strike at the site and gather intelligence. As the battle began, the Young Wolf recovered intelligence revealing that [[Commander Dracus]] was leading the operation. Zavala informed them that Dracus was a former [[Legionary]] of the Red Legion turned warlord and responsible for murdering many Lightless Guardians during the Red War. He ordered them to eliminate Dracus in retribution for those slain Guardians and to deny Caiatl from gaining him as a key commander in her efforts to reintegrate the Red Legion into the Cabal Empire.<ref name="BB"/>


After the elimination of Dracus and the recovery of a [[Bell of Conquests]] from him, Zavala directed the Young Wolf to travel to the newly completed [[H.E.L.M.]], which would serve as Vanguard's center of operations for any emerging crises around the system. When they reached the war table Zavala appeared before them as a hologram and congratulated them on their successful mission. He then briefed them on what had transpired with Caiatl and that the information they recovered revealed Caiatl was conducting [[Rite of Proving|Rites of Proving]] to put together a [[War Council]] from the remnants of the Red Legion and other Cabal in the system. To prevent this, Zavala ordered the creation of a task force led by Lord [[Saladin Forge]] to interfere with their Rites and eliminate key Cabal commanders. He assigned Osiris to advise Saladin, and the former Warlock recruited a new Hunter called [[Uldren Sov|Crow]] as a recon expert while Amanda provided air support to their strikes. Zavala hoped that by preventing the Cabal from unifying around new leadership they could avoid triggering another all-out war in the system.<ref>'''Bungie (2021/2/9)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Chosen]] - [[Quests (Destiny 2)|Quest]]: [[A Challenger Rises]] - [https://www.ishtar-collective.net/items/the-war-table The War Table]''</ref>
After the elimination of Dracus and the recovery of a [[Bell of Conquests]] from him, Zavala directed the Young Wolf to travel to the newly completed [[H.E.L.M.]], which would serve as Vanguard's centre of operations for any emerging crises around the system. When they reached the war table Zavala appeared before them as a hologram and congratulated them on their successful mission. He then briefed them on what had transpired with Caiatl and that the information they recovered revealed Caiatl was conducting [[Rite of Proving|Rites of Proving]] to put together a [[War Council]] from the remnants of the Red Legion and other Cabal in the system. To prevent this, Zavala ordered the creation of a task force led by Lord [[Saladin Forge]] to interfere with their Rites and eliminate key Cabal commanders. He assigned Osiris to advise Saladin, and the former Warlock recruited a new Hunter called [[Uldren Sov|Crow]] as a recon expert while Amanda provided air support to their strikes. Zavala hoped that by preventing the Cabal from unifying around new leadership they could avoid triggering another all-out war in the system.<ref>'''Bungie (2021/2/9)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Chosen]] - [[Quests (Destiny 2)|Quest]]: [[A Challenger Rises]] - [https://www.ishtar-collective.net/items/the-war-table The War Table]''</ref>


As the task force began its work, Zavala and Saladin began clashing as the Iron Lord advocated for the Vanguard to enter an all-out war with the Cabal. Despite the tension between them, Zavala invited his former mentor to their regular game of go at a courtyard built into the side of the City wall. Zavala emerged victorious and Saladin noted he was surprised by the invitation. Hesitating momentarily, Zavala admitted that he did find Saladin's dissension on strategy frustrating and wished his old friend would have more respect for his position. He pushed back against Saladin's desire for war by noting that they would take thousands of casualties driving her out of the Sol System and leave themselves vulnerable to other threats. The Iron Lord accused him of making excuses to avoid hard choices and stated that all victories came with sacrifices. Zavala shot back that to him, those so-called sacrifices would be the consequences of his failure before noting that there were other currencies in war besides a body count. Saladin warned that he might not have a choice one day about who and what to sacrifice. Seeing his friend burdened by his own past losses, Zavala reached out to him and apologized for being a disappointment to him as Commander. However, Saladin refuted that notion, declaring that Zavala had in fact exceeded all his hopes but had yet to reach his full potential. As the Iron Lord prepared to depart, Zavala told him that he would expect his obedience in the coming fight, keeping a steady gaze on Saladin as the Iron Lord attempted to joke that an old wolf like him would not be tamed. His former mentor relented and noted that they both opposed Caiatl's terms and that would be enough. Zavala placed a hand on Saladin's shoulder and noted it was good to see him outside of his duties. As the Iron Lord left, Zavala looked back at their games and studied the result.<ref>'''Bungie (2021/2/9)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Chosen]] - [[The Time-Worn Spire]]''</ref>
As the task force began its work, Zavala and Saladin began clashing as the Iron Lord advocated for the Vanguard to enter an all-out war with the Cabal. Despite the tension between them, Zavala invited his former mentor to their regular game of go at a courtyard built into the side of the City wall. Zavala emerged victorious and Saladin noted he was surprised by the invitation. Hesitating momentarily, Zavala admitted that he did find Saladin's dissension on strategy frustrating and wished his old friend would have more respect for his position. He pushed back against Saladin's desire for war by noting that they would take thousands of casualties driving her out of the Sol System and leave themselves vulnerable to other threats. The Iron Lord accused him of making excuses to avoid hard choices and stated that all victories came with sacrifices. Zavala shot back that to him, those so-called sacrifices would be the consequences of his failure before noting that there were other currencies in war besides a body count. Saladin warned that he might not have a choice one day about who and what to sacrifice. Seeing his friend burdened by his past losses, Zavala reached out to him and apologized for being a disappointment to him as Commander. However, Saladin refuted that notion, declaring that Zavala had exceeded all his hopes but had yet to reach his full potential. As the Iron Lord prepared to depart, Zavala told him that he would expect his obedience in the coming fight, keeping a steady gaze on Saladin as the Iron Lord attempted to joke that an old wolf like him would not be tamed. His former mentor relented and noted that they both opposed Caiatl's terms and that would be enough. Zavala placed a hand on Saladin's shoulder and noted it was good to see him outside of his duties. As the Iron Lord left, Zavala looked back at their games and studied the result.<ref>'''Bungie (2021/2/9)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Chosen]] - [[The Time-Worn Spire]]''</ref>


====A Voice in the Darkness====
====A Voice in the Darkness====
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