The rifle is sleek, with a green fire burning through the barrel. It is possible the most beautiful rifle I have ever laid my hands on. I am disgusted by it. The lives of countless souls have been stolen by this beast. I condemn the Darkness for all it has wrought yet this rifle, designed to destroy the Dark simply feels...wrong. As if it hungers for Light just as much as it hungers for Darkness. This rifle is alive, with an appetite that cannot be sated. What hatred it must have taken to drive someone to make this. I believe I understand Toland's fears now. If something on that floating hell could drive a Guardian to make this, I doubt we can win this battle with conventional methods. No army of Light could win this battle with bullets, grenades and their fists. It is both a burden knowing this and a relief. My team and I will cleanse that place despite the numbers we will face. Day after day, we will strike out and destroy a champion of Oryx. Eventually we will fight a Hive God, more powerful than Crota by an incomprehensible measure. Walk in the park if you ask me. I cannot think of failure for it would mean all we have fought for, Atheon and Crota and Skolas all dead by our hands, will have been for nothing? I ask Ghost for my sandwich. BLT. I am halfway through it when I hear her voice. That Exo. "Hardly a place for a Guardian. Sitting in the remains of the American White House." She calls out somewhere behind me. I choke on a piece of bacon. It's not easy to be dignified with a piece of bacon crawling down your throat. I manage to swallow it. "Well hello too. 5 months not a word. No "Well done! You slew the biggest Vex threat on Venus!" You didn't even give me a pat on the back for killing a hive prince." I say, only slightly annoyed. Looking around, I do see the columns that are mostly destroyed. It probably is the White House I must admit. She sits beside. I am only slightly rattled by that. "Why do you have Toland's rifle?" She asks, disgust noticeable in her metallic voice. "It was given to me. By its creator." I reply, troubled by that voice. "You should destroy that abomination" The Exo says, too calmly for a person who was just disgusted. I am scared, I must admit this. "It offers too much to merely be scrapped" I reply, hoping she will not be angered by that. She snorts. I didn't know Exo's could do that. I send that bit of knowledge to the back of my brain. "It offers simply a gateway to kill. I'd be less concerned if you wielded Dregden's bloody Thorn." "Oh I have that one as well." I confess, not mentioning I also have its counterpart, Last Word. "Anything else I should know?" She snarls. Again, something I didn't know an Exo could do. "Um… I met with a heretic and an exile in the same day. Have you ever met Toland AND Osiris in the same day? I've dealt with more melodrama in one day then in the rest of my life." I reply rather exasperated. "I work with them. Of course I have." She says, almost scolding me. I don't like this conversation too much. "This is no time for your moaning. I need to explain how you can kill Oryx. It's more than just anchoring his consciousness into one place. Oryx exists in a different plane then us and killing him requires us to go into that plane. You are the most powerful Guardian I have met since Kabr but that is not enough. You must become more. You must discover powers of Old, when Guardians walked this Universe with no fear, and power at the tips of their fingers that would make Crota seem weak. Rediscover that power. Ikora Rey can help you, but I must warn you, it will require some… Ah, well there is no other word for it. Ikora is going to possess you into it." "That wouldn't be pleasant." I say, more disturbed by the thought of Ikora controlling me than anything else. "Nothing you do to save this Universe will be pleasant. Accept it."