"In the end, they'll accept your offer. The Witness won't leave them any choice." Savathûn's voice echoed throughout the empty ritual chamber. Immaru floated in the middle of the vast space, listening intently to his boss's pre-recorded instructions.

"With the Warmind gone and the Traveler incapacitated, they'll only have one option left," Savathûn's recorded voice cooed. "They'll have to do things our way. And you'll be there to make sure they do."

Immaru grumbled. The boss was betting a lot on the Vanguard. More than she bet on her own brood! Pride stung the edges of the First Ghost's ego. He'd been an exemplary leader in Savathûn's absence. If anything, he should be the one overseeing the war effort against Xivu Arath!

Then again, he placated himself, maybe it wasn't a matter of competency. Maybe the Witch Queen just saw the Vanguard as more expendable than her own brood. Hell, he chuckled to himself, maybe this was all just a long con to lead the Vanguard into Xivu's waiting jaws. Only the boss knew for sure.

Immaru initiated playback on another recording, preparing to enact whichever of the hundreds of Savathûn's contingencies came to pass.

"If Ikora Rey is the one to accept my bargain, your job will be much easier," the recording began. "That one has a deep well of bloodthirst. She ruled the Crucible for many years, as you recall. Her eagerness to be reacquainted with death will lead her back to her convoluted ideas on 'thanatonautics.'"

"If anything, she'll get too powerful too quickly," the absent Savathûn mused. "If that happens, just arrange for her to accidentally kill one of her own. Glint, perhaps. That should slow her down for a while. Don't worry about putting her off for good, though. Once she feels the power of the sword, she'll never stop."

Immaru was filled with admiration and suspicion. He wondered if there was a trove of Savathûn's contingencies somewhere that involved his sacrifice. Surely not. He was too important for that. He initiated playback on another recording.

"If the Awoken queen somehow discovers the pattern before I'm resurrected," the Witch Queen began, "the Guardians may attempt to take the heirloom by force. It won't be Mara's idea, of course. But my dear Osiris, in his cleverness, might talk them into a poor decision."

"In that case, it won't be worth fighting them off. That would only play to Xivu's advantage. Instead, deliver the heirloom to the Cabal empress," Savathûn continued. "She has more reason than any to use it against my sister, and a protracted war of attrition will be inevitable. While those two rip each other apart, you can approach the Vanguard with a slightly modified deal—"

Immaru cut off the recording. He hoped it wouldn't come to that. The Vanguard had already guaranteed his safety, but the Cabal had made no such assurances. Showing up on their doorstep with the heirloom was the last thing he wanted. He initiated another recording.

"If all goes to my original plan, Eris will reach a crossroads." A hint of concern snuck into Savathûn's voice. "At some point, she'll glimpse a path to overcome my sister without resurrecting me at all. But there's only one way to gather so many tithes in so short a time: she would have to put the Vanguard to the sword. Followed swiftly by the Eliksni and Cabal. The Hive she would spare, I think, for her convenience."

"If that happens," Savathûn concluded, "there are no more contingencies. No more fallbacks. The Hive would have a new queen… and you a new leader. Wouldn't that be interesting."