So, rather disappointed with the story of the newest DLC, hoping to maybe fill in some of what I think would make a much more interesting story as this one progresses. But more importantly Enjoy! Alexander took Raven’s hand as she assisted him to his feet. He blinked away the dizziness and took a deep breath to replenish the wind that was knocked from him. He found Immobious and mentally collected himself. Counting backwards from ten, spelling his name, and flexing all of his muscles all seemed to confirm his was fine. “Please tell me you’re -blam!-ing that sexy hunter!” Super Good Advice exclaimed. “Excuse me?” Luka and Oliver responded simultaneously. “You are, aren’t you?” Raven turned toward Alexander, shifted her weight to one leg, and crossed her arms, her glare menacing. “This is Super Good Advice,” Alexander started pulling the frame from his backpack. “We picked him up while trying to gain access to orbital communications.” “Quite the mouth on it,” she responded flatly. “Curves and sass?” Super Good Advice interrupted. “God what more could you ask for titan! By the way, red and white, totally her colors.” “Anyway,” Raven continued. “What were you saying about orbital communications?” “There aren’t any, we needed an access key.” “You mean this?” Luka floated over to Alexander. “Hold out your hand.” She materialized an odd, key shaped, metal bar. “We took that from the commander of the base just north of here.” “We accessed the terminal there and established orbital uplinks enabling transmat.” Luka took the key back from Alexander. “I figured I’d keep it as a souvenir.” “Perfect now you dumbasses can go to the god damned dust palace to fix me!” “That’s miles from here,” Oliver said. “And we don’t have a sparrow.” “Then walk retards, god do I have to spell it out for you?” “I have a spare,” Raven offered, her voice perking. “Luka, bring down my sparrows,” she smiled. A pair of vehicles materialized in front of Raven. They were sleek, grey and white, with boosters in the rear. They hovered slightly over the sand. Raven hopped on one of them, pushing her left foot back on ignition starting the engine and warming the boosters. She revved the engine kicking up some dirt and maneuvered the sparrow slightly left and right. “Still works like a charm,” She stated. “It’s a lot like riding a bike, simple. Right foot powers the engine, put it on the pedal and the engine keeps running, take it off to kill it. Right hand is the throttle, the harder you squeeze the lever the faster you will go. Turn the handlebar right to go right and left to go left.” Raven got off, the engines died and the vehicle rested, hovering once more over the red sand. “Come here,” she said, holding out her hand. Alexander was yanked close to Raven as he took her hand. She leaned in close. “This does not mean I like you,” she started. “You break my baby and I’ll bury another body under the wall. Okay.” Raven stepped back, her deceptive, foxy smile obvious. She mounted the other sparrow and kick started the engine. “Titan,” Super Good Advice whispered. “She is kind of scary…” Its voice trailed. “Yeah –“ "She would be FREAK in bed!” Alexander rolled his eyes as he started the engine on his sparrow. Shaking his head, he was about to ask when a waypoint appeared on his HUD. The pair shot off into the desert, plumes of dust streaking behind them. *** Clovis Bray, a structure taken by the desert. A bastion of research whose motto was “we want your grandchildren.” Scientific advancements and creations abound from the greatest minds of the golden age. Secrets yet undiscovered since the collapse. Raven and Alexander crouched behind a sand dune overlooking the dead husk of the former glorious laboratory. A Cabal patrol was meandering about the structures. A westward breeze carried loose sand over the dunes, cloaking them in a veil of serenity. The sand snaked its way across the desert depositing itself in the buildings below, consuming them. Raven pulled her Antimony XVI sniper rifle. She stared down the scope, its cross hairs over a legionary’s head. The magnification brought out each detail of the creature’s helmet. Her finger rested on the trigger and she breathed deep. The dry heated air filled her lungs and she closed her eyes. Counting back from ten, she felt her heart rate slow. When she opened her eyes she carefully adjusted the scope, twisting the knobs to adjust for the wind and distance. One notch up, two to the left, and Raven squeezed the trigger between heart beats. She stared at the spew of purple blood fountaining in front of her eyes. The creature fell and its fellow companions jumped away roaring in an alien tongue. Scatting and rushing for what cover they could, the Cabal barked orders at each other searching desperately for where the single shot came from. The futility became apparent when another shot rang out and another Legionary fell. The bellows brought with them from the depths of Building 5 a Centurion. It rushed to the battle field to control its subordinates. They rallied to the orders and blanketed fire across the desert. All shots well amiss of their intended target. Raven shifted positions, taking aim at the leader. The first shot shattered its personal shield, the second tore through its helmet. The force of the shots spun the creature as it fell into the dirt, darkening the crimson sand with its pooling blood. The remaining Cabal scattered and ran, abandoning their posts. “Coast is clear,” Raven announced as she reloaded her weapon. “It won’t be long before they’re back with reinforcements.” Sliding down the dune, they ran into Clovis Bray. The blown apart entryway left metal fragments planted into the sand. As they hopped the ledge to the access hallways, the doors were pried open. The Cabal had created a pathway to the interior of the structure that first led down a damaged, sand filled elevator shaft. Static echoed over the coms. “Guardians!” the familiar voice echoed. “Seems we have communications back up, and I have some good news!” Cayde – 6’s voice seemed a little too excited. “So it seems that the Cabal are up to something at the top of the Dust Palace. Psion Flayers were seen digging around some equipment scavenged from the building.” “Cayde?” Raven questioned. “What the -blam!- is a Flayer?” “Uh. Bigger. Um. Psion? ANYWAY they are at the top of the Dust Palace and we need them taken out.” Static hissed once more and Cayde’s voice disappeared. “No, no no, no, just NO!” Super Good Advice bellowed from Alexander’s backpack. I will not be put second to that two-bit hunter’s request!” “Vanguard –“ Oliver started. “Pipe down munchkin the adults are talking. Find my parts and put me back together first. Then deal with these Flayer things.” Alexander looked at Raven. She shrugged shaking her head. “Where would we find your parts?” Alexander asked. “Finally! Down in the research lab.” Alexander was silent. “Through the atrium into the rear access overlook then down the elevator behind the stairs,” Super Good Advice spouted. “If you take me out of your backpack I can guide you there if you want,” the sarcasm unrelenting. Alexander pulled the frame from his backpack. Expectations of verbal abuse were met with awkward silence as they entered the atrium. “What happened here,” Super Good Advice said stunned. Dirt and sand covered the floor. Cabal crates littered the place and husks of dead Vex were sporadically scattered along the walkways. The door to the rear access overlook was forced up and bent like someone wanted to break into the next room with brute strength. “This place is supposed to be bustling with defense systems.” “Wasn’t this implied when we were killing those Cabal outside?” Luka questioned. “I’ve been locked in a box for a while, forgive me for not being up to date.” “Well then,” Luka’s voice trailed. “The last I heard Cabal were being fended off with ease, how did they get in? What happened and how did this much damage occur?” The rear access overlook was in similar disrepair. Stairs had been blown apart and elevators were crashed to the ground level. Scorch marks and burns painted the walls and a red dust covered most surfaces. The guardians entered cautiously as the echoing march of Cabal armor sounded above them. The middle of the room had stairs leading upward to the second level and were bent down, cracked and scorched. Atop their peak a ten-foot-tall monstrosity stood in Siege Dancer colors. Thick overbroad armor covered its body. The Colossus hoisted a Gatling gun easily larger than Alexander or Raven. It shifted its weight slightly and part of the metal plating it stood on shrieked in response. The guardians dove for cover behind a pillar, hoping the Colossus had not seen them yet.