Zara was running, her sword crackling with Arc energy. She leapt, and turned into a whirl of destruction, disintegrating the Legionaries, the War Beasts...

Her motion was abruptly stopped. The world stopped spinning, and she saw the end of her blade stuck under the shield of a Phalanx that looked at her with a sinister look. The Cabal kicked the sword violently and snatched it from the Warlock's hands. His shield rose, and Zara felt the creature's muscles contract.

"Uh-oh."

The large shield hit her with full force. Her armor absorbed some of the impact, but the strength of the blow threw her into the air. She crossed half the arena and crashed into a tree trunk. She died before she knew whether the cracking sound came from her skeleton or from the white wood.

Zzt.

"Come on, snitch, let's get up and head back! These Motes ain't going to catch themselves!"

"Well spotted, you blind man!" Zara grumbled as she headed towards the Drill where the Cabals continued to swarm. "Koryl, how many did I have?"

"Six." The Ghost floated for a moment above her chest before going back into hiding. "The Hunter didn't look happy."

"We'll discuss it again when my Radiance will save his butt."

Bow in hand, the Warlock ran to join her team, taking care to keep a safe distance from the Phalanxes. By the time the wave of enemies was cleared, she had accumulated fourteen Motes of Darkness, and cursed the Titan who had thrown himself on the last one.

"Invader on the field. Watch out!"

"Oh, not now!"

Zara took cover, watching for the slightest sign of the opposing Guardian. Two of her team members had already jumped into the Vex teleporter and were hiding in the Steps. The Hunter had rushed towards the bank and was attacking one of the Taken Knights with a shotgun, ignoring the liquid fire at his feet.

A loud bang resounded, and he received a sniper rifle bullet to the head. He collapsed, along with the dozen Motes he was carrying. Zara did not pay any attention to it and looked for the source of the shot, on the side of the Base.

Suddenly, a red dot appeared in her field of view. A shot ricocheted off the rock and grazed her helmet. The hole leading to the teleporter was less than a meter away.

Zara rolled over and threw herself into the ditch. At the same time, the cabal drill came down on her, and only an indescribable pulp emerged from the teleporter.

Zzt.

"Your ally has eliminated the invader. You want to win? Be like him!"

Zara reappeared at the back of the cave. As she was hurtling towards the arena again, a burst of pulse rifle shot sent the earth flying at her feet. When she turned around, she saw the Hunter, visibly very angry, pass her, cursing the Blockers and useless allies.

The Warlock resisted the urge to make him taste a Nova Bomb and returned to the Steps. The wave was cleaned without great difficulty - except coming from the armored Scorpius, and new enemies arrived at the Base.

Some blows of sword were enough to release the Blockers of the bank, and Zara deposited her ten Motes; before flying up to the platform overhanging the zone flooded by Cabals.

"Hey, Reaper! High-value target approaching, knock it down!"

Zara crouched to take cover from enemy fire and scanned the battlefield for the Wanted Centurion.

"Where are you hiding, you little-"

The Drop Pod crushed her before she could see it coming.

Zzt.

"Okay. Now I'm pissed." Zara came out of the cave again, One Thousand Voices in her hands: there was no longer any chance of getting close to the danger.

The rest of her team was still collecting Motes, desperately trying to make up for lost time. She noticed the absence of Blockers and the activation of the invasion portal. With a nasty smile on her face, she leapt through the black whirlwind.

Wrapped in Taken energy, she found herself in the Steps. The opposing team had amassed a good quantity of Particles and was heading towards the bank. Zara drew the One Thousand Voices and charged a first shot.

She pulled the trigger, and the destructive ray incinerated one of the opposing Guardians, raining down Motes. The sweet flavor of revenge flowed like a shot of adrenaline, and she prepared for a second shot.

Suddenly, a red dot appeared by the Drill. It was the same one that had invaded them a few minutes earlier. She pointed her gun at him and pulled the trigger. At the same time, a bullet grazed her, forcing her to take cover.

The fusion rifle had not fully discharged its energy and splashed the wall behind which she had taken cover.

"Oh, sh..."

The wall began to glow, and the solar blast wiped her.

Zzt.

Zara stood motionless in the cave, her arms dangling. On the radio, the comments about her were not very flattering. Koryl cut off the feed and cautiously moved closer:

"You know, I can take us back into orbit, and we'll forget this whole thing."

"No." The Warlock drew her bow, sighed, and ran towards the next wave. "I need those Glimmer. After this, we'll go find out which god I angered, and I'll explain him my way of thinking."

Zzt.