Paid in Full

There's a time to bluff and a time to call

"Spider," Narcisse said as the Ghost opened a comms channel. "We cleared out the nest."

"Ooh, so quickly?" Spider's reply was oily, smug. "Why, if it was that easy, I don't think this counts toward your debts. I want a fair trade!"

"That wasn't the agreement," Narcisse began to protest.

"Oh, there was no agreement, little morsel," Spider interrupted. "Just considerations. Mights and maybes." The channel filled with Spider's mocking laughter.

"Yaviks," Echo said, her voice calm as she entered the channel. "Pirrha. Kaniks. Reksis Vahn."

She continued in a voice so icy that it froze the laughter in his throat.

"Araskes. Hiraks. Elykris. Fikrul."

The channel fell silent.

"And don't forget Uldren Sov, and now Anânh," Echo added, breaking the silence. "Ten threats to your domain that were beyond your power to stop. So who did you turn to?"

"You," Spider answered, his breathing a brittle hiss.

"Exactly," Echo replied. "Us. My fireteam, or another one like it. When we failed to stop them from invading your territory, you turned every calamity into leverage. Every favor into a debt. Every name into another leash to choke me or another Guardian with. The Reef may have incurred those debts in your people's blood, but the blood they were paid in was shed by Guardians, so you might just maybe want to watch your tone. And any debt that you think I owe you is now paid in full."

The channel remained silent for an uncomfortably long time before Spider answered.

"...I accept," he said, then closed the channel before the Warlock could reply.

Narcisse looked toward Echo.

"Do you think he meant it?"

Echo stared at the last few motes of Light sparkling above the deactivated comms array.

"Probably not."

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