Meanwhile, back in the tower... Zavala: Banshee, why is there a 15 foot pile of dusklight shards and datalatice in the courtyard? Banshee: Can't remember. Memory isn't what it used to be. Postmaster handles that stuff anyways. Zavala: No one has seen the postmaster in days... Banshee: Hmmmm, maybe Tess knows something. She hangs out over there. Zavala: Indeed... (as he starts to walk around the massive pile, he sees Tess in her usual spot. Just barely enough room remains for him to approach) Tess: Welcome, guardian! Zavala: Hello Tess, have you seen the postmaster? She's been AWOL for days now. Tess: Need some new moves guardian? maybe a new look? Zavala: ...uh, no... I was asking about the postmaster. I need to find her. This ludicrous pile of materials in the courtyard is becoming a problem. Tess: Not everything Fenchurch sends is safe to sell! Zavala: What? No! I'm looking for Kadi, the postmaster! Tess: Need some new moves guardian? Maybe a new look? Zavala: *sigh*...[I'm starting to wonder if all the talk about tess has some merit after all] *The pile shifts, and materials slide down over Zavala's feet covering him up to his knees. Zavala's head slowly turns straight down, looking at the pile covering him. His shoulders drop low out of sheer exasperation. Zavala: *grumbles* Unknown muffled voice: Help! Zavala looks up and sees a tower frame's leg sticking up out of the pile. Zavala: My god! (As he pulls the buried frame out of the heap) It's Kadi, the missing postmaster! So exhausted it cannot stand, the frame falls onto it's back on the materials covering the ground. Zavala kneels down by the fallen frame. Zavala: what happened!? Kadi: Forges...Oh dear!...so many...zzzszszzz.. *The frame shuts down as a look of desperate bewilderment washes over Zavala's face. Zavala: Ikora! Status report! What's happening at the back armory forges!? Ikora: The forges? They've been largely inactive for months now, why?....wait...My scanners are...What!? Why are so many guardians in the forges? There are thousands of them! It looks like some of them have been there for days! Zavala: Whats going on down there?! What else do we know? ikora: ...Zavala! I'm showing that nearly 80% of the guardians currently in the forges are down! No one is responding on the comms! Zavala: A BATTLE!? HOW WERE WE NOT MADE AWARE OF THIS! RALLY OUR FORCES, WERE GOING DOWN THERE! Shaxx: COUNT ME IN! IM ON MY WAY GUARDIAN!!! (Shaxx hops in his ship and flies off to the nearest forge with such unbridled enthusiasm that he forgets to ask why he is even going in the first place) Ikora: Zavala, wait...Something is wrong...They aren't fighting back! Zavala: What do you mean they aren't fighting back?!? Ikora: They're not doing anything! No shots fired! No light used, except to bring them back! Nearly every guardian in the forges right now has been dying over and over for days now! The death toll is in the millions! Zavala: WHAT IS GOING ON ?!? DEVRIM!!! STATUS REPORT! WHAT IS GOING ON AT THE FORGES IN THE EDZ? Devrim: Zavala! Good to hear from you! What's all this about the forges? Zavala: We're getting reports of guardian deaths in the millions! Devrim: That's odd...the guardians I've seen lately seem to be doing rather well for themselves! Come to think of it I have been getting quite a lot more visitors lately... Zavala: You havent seen or heard anything at all about the forges!? Its been going on for days! Devrim: Not a peep! Everyone I talk to just comes by to cash in on dusklight shards. Massive amounts have been coming in lately! Business is booming! Zavala: What? That can't be a coincidence! I'm currently standing knee deep in a pile if the same materials. But...wait, this makes no sense...NONE OF THIS MAKES ANY SENSE! If we are losing the battle then where are all these materials coming from? And why are guardians cashing in all their resources for useless gear? No offense Devrim... Devrim: None taken! I've been wondering the same thing for a week now! Zavala: Our forces are nearly there, we'll know more soon. These guardians that have been bringing you stockpiles of resources...has anyone mentioned anything about why they're bringing you so much, or where they're getting it? Devrim: All they ever talk about is the economy, and some new pulse rifle they all want. Pretty standard fare if you ask me Zavala: huh... With a new found sense of bewilderment displayed unabashedly on his face, Zavala walks slowly out of the material heap in the courtyard and to his usual spot, and stares into the distance. Zavala: Shaxx, are you almost there? Shaxx: DROPPING IN NOW! EYES UP GUARDIAN! THE CAVALRY HAS ARRIVED!! FOR GLORYYYYYYYY! *Rather than transmatting down to the surface like a sane person, Shaxx opts to jump directly out of his ship, plummeting thousands of feet in full fist of havoc screaming like a madman the entire way down. The resulting explosion is so large Zavala can see it from his perch on the towers edge. Zavala: Shaxx, status report! What is going on down there? Shaxx: What if all you ever wanted... Ikora: Oh no... Shaxx: WAS TO KICK SH1T IN THE FACE!? Ikora: *sigh* He's wearing them AGAIN... Shaxx: FOREVER! THEN YOU NEED PEREGRINE GREAVES!!! (Shaxx proceeds to scream the entire rant as he darts around the forge in a childlike frenzy, kneeing everything in sight in the face) *Staggered by the volume of shaxx's screaming, Zavala pulls the comm out of his ear momentarily. His ghost proceeds to heal his now perforated eardrum Zavala: Damn1t Shaxx!! We've talked about this! I know you love your new shoes, but you CANNOT do that every time you go into the field! Shaxx: PEREGRINE GREEEEEAAAAAVES!!! Taking a deep breath, Zavala shuts off his comms, and hangs his head in exasperation as Ikora walks up behind him. Ikora: I really hate when he does that. Zavala: Indeed. Ikora: We really do need to be on the comms though, we still dont know what is going on down there... Zavala: *sigh* ...right...Shaxx! Status report! Shaxx: ALL ENEMIES ELIMINATED! Zavala: What about the guardians?! Shaxx: ...THE GUARDIANS? THERE RIGHT H...wait where did they go? Zavala: Ikora, any response from the fireteam? Ikora: Still nothing! Although...it looks like they've returned to orbit... perhaps their comms are down? Shaxx, do you see anything out of the ordinary? Shaxx: EVERYTHINGS FINE! RETURNING TO BASE NOW! Zavala: No matter. At least we know our people are safe...for now. Ikora: Thank the traveller everyone got out! We do still have the matter of this gigantic pile in the courtyard though... Zavala: Oh fuc%, that's right! God d@mnit! Wait...where did all the materials go? Ikora: What? Wait WHAT!? THEYRE GONE! every last one! How...where...I...? Zavala's jaw hangs open slightly, as a voice crackles through the comms Devrim: Zavala! I'm not sure what you did, but I just got a MASSIVE shipment of dusklight shards! Looks like you fixed our little problem! What was all this about anyway? With a look of pure confusion on his face, Zavala looks over at Ikora inquisitively. She shrugs back, equally perplexed. Zavala: We'll debrief later Devrim. For now enjoy your bounty. Devrim: Will do! Devrim out! Zavala shuts off his comms and stares up at the sky. Zavala: What did we learn today Ikora? Ikora: I... I do not know... Zavala: Well...I guess we learned not to do it again! ....Fuc%ed if I know what we did though!!! Ikora: It is quite the quandary... Zavala: *sigh*...I need a vacation Ikora: We need to deal with the riots first. Zavala: ...I'm afraid to ask...what riots? Ikora: There's a rumor going around that every guardian's armor is going to be useless in a few months, and they want us to do something about it. Zavala: But I dont....I can't just...is it even true? Ikora: No idea. Zavala: ...Where is Cayde's stash? Ikora: You think Cayde had the answer to this problem in one of his stashes? Zavala: Of course. He's the only one of us who always had a bottle of the good stuff hidden away. Ikora: ...Here we go again...last time you got drunk on Cayde's booze you smashed the vault and destroyed every guardian's equipment! We had to blame it on Gaul's attack on the tower just so they wouldn't murder you! Zavala: ...so... you don't want any? Ikora looks over at Zavala, annoyed at the mere suggestion *A loud scream can be heard in the distance. It's getting closer VERY quickly. Ikora and Zavala look up to see Shaxx plummeting from the sky towards them Shaxx: PEREGRINE GREEEEEEAAAAAVES!!!!!!!!! *Shaxx crashes down into the tower courtyard, leaving a small crater where the heap of materials had been just moments before. As the dust clears Ikora looks over at Zavala with a look of pure defeat on her face. Ikora: I'll drive. Edited: for typos and better quotation accuracy