Her ship really didn't fit in front of the cave, so she had it a little ways further. Really, just a walk. With the ten Eliksni that were willing to travel with her, it would be a little cramped, but she assured Skethris that she would be fine with it. She kept an eye out for any trigger happy guardians, her finger hovering over the trigger of Exit Strategy. Golden eyes were narrowed as the ten climbed onto her ship, and once Skethris, who had gone last climbed aboard, Yetta climbed up behind her, waving to the remaining few who'd wanted to stay behind.
Skethris had begged them to come with, there was still a little room left. They refused. There was always tomorrow, they said. They would move locations tomorrow, let another group take the sector for their own. As they entered orbit, Yetta's dash dinged. The gathered Eliksni mumbled to themselves, as Yetta picked up the call.
"Where are you?" Crow demanded. "You were supposed to be here two hours ago."
"Something came up. Let Mithrax know to expect some company," she answered. "There was a rescue mission, so to speak, I needed to do."
"Jason wasn't kidding about the hatchling, was he?" Crow was audibly deadpanning, but his voice was softer. "What happened out there?"
"I'll debrief when I get there." And then she ended the call.
. . .
Skethris and her group got settled in quickly, some of them recognizing family. She waved goodbye at the hatchling, who cooed as she was given a small cookie. "You must come back to see us," Skethris allowed. "You helped us." The Eliksni pulled her into a hug, Yetta returning it. "You must." A small pack of glimmer was pressed into Skethris' hands.
"Take it. It'll get you a start here." Yetta smiled softly, cooing at the small hatchling. "Does she have a name?"
"My sister named her Travkis. She will have a life because of you." Yetta chuckled, patting the small head.
"I'd better get back to my vanguard. I'm already late for a meeting with him."
"Go. We will be alright, here." Skethris clicked and chittered for a second. "Remember to visit us."
Nodding her head as she left, a solemn smile playing on her lips, the Awoken climbing onto her ship. In the corner of her eyes, she saw Carman, watching her closely. Her wave was met with a nod. Whether it was purely acknowledgment or approval, she didn't know. Yetta liked to think of it as approval. She settled into her seat, taking her helmet off. A small trickle of blood, mostly clotted, showed on her hairline. Jason had already healed it, in five minutes. His healing was still being slowed down by that Vex energy.
Her eyes flicked to the journals, something she had brought with her out of that Vex portal. Out of that hellish time line. They were written by that line's Yetta, a more serious, better version. One who could label and make poisons as quickly as she could summon Arc to her hands. Her fingers drummed softly on Cherry's head, considering her options. There was probably an answer to fix the remaining energy.
"Crow's getting mad," her gost helpfully reminded her. "At least he probably is. You're putting the meeting off."
"Yeah, cause he knows I'm not actually doing patrols." She sighed, getting up. "Let's go find him."
. . .
"Before you say anything, I couldn't leave them there," she began. Crow looked up, his face twisted in mild disdain at her tardiness.
"You're almost as bad as Carman at showing up on time," he told her. "Maybe worse." He sighed. "You brought Eliksni here? Out of the EDZ?"
"They were running out of supplies." Yetta crossed her hands in front of her. "They just wanted to live." With a heavy swallow, she pressed on. "There was a hatchling, she had been hidden and then orphaned. I had to give her a fighting chance too."
Crow's shoulders dropped. "Tell me you didn't adopt-"
"I actually went looking for ether, originally. Her aunt was the one I ran into. She's taking care of the hatchling." Her voice dropped. "I couldn't leave them there. Isn't that what we're here to do? Save people? Isn't that what makes us guardians?"
He sighed in relief. "I'm not mad you saved them. I'm mad you didn't ask for help. I could have come out there, got any left behind."
"There's…a few left behind, actually." She shook her head. "They wanted to stay behind, take their chances." She suddenly perked up. "There is something we can do. We can make sure people know they aren't dangerous. To not shoot unless they shoot first. There's still good Eliksni out there, I know it." Crow raised an eyebrow. "They just want to live, Crow. Anymore, that's all anybody wants."
He sighed softly. "I'll see what I can do." He sat back, his eyes falling on Cherry, who was happily chomping down on a bone, shattering it. "Why is it that you keep finding babies, Yetta?"
"Pardon?"
"Cherry, and then a hatchling. What are you going to find next?" A small smile played on his lips. A flash of remembrance shone in her eyes, and she dug in her sack, pulling the journals out. "What are these?" he asked, interested. She set them down on the table.
"I brought these out of that time line. They're from…well. Me? That alternate me. That I never met. Cause she was already dead." She cleared her throat. "That was….cheery to see myself staring back at me blankly." Shaking herself, she opened one. "She knew how to make poisons and antidotes. I have to wonder if she had anything for fixing Vex energy in the body. If she had answers."
Crow picked up one of the journals, flipping through it. "This will take us a while to go through it all. Osiris might be able to help, too."
"Osiris?" Her head tilted. She knew *of* him. Carman went into his trials every once in a blue moon, if there was gear she wanted to earn. Yetta had never met the man herself, him being a shut in currently, and her running around. She had seen him once before, talking with Carman, but she walked away before he had noticed her.
"He's dealt with the Vex before, he'd be willing to help. A new puzzle for him. Jigsaws only entertain him for so long, before he starts jumbling the pieces up and works on several at the same time." She could tell Crow was understating it. "Or mixes the puzzles into rainbow vomit. What I'm trying to say, is he's bored. Extremely bored. This." Crow picked up the journal. "Would give him a break from that."