[url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/254979692/0/0]Table of Contents[/url] I dive to the ground, bolts of Arc energy darting over my head in a torrent of light and fury. The feet of the Fallen trample and kick up snow all around me as they swarm the downed City Hawk. A Vandal stops, taking aim to shoot me while I’m down, but Olly’s armored fist sends it flying. “Get up!” The Titan urges, delivering another blow to a charging Dreg. I push myself up to my feet but am immediately yanked to the side, just in time to avoid the swinging blades of a Captain. Elena shoves me into Javier and topples the towering pirate with a shotgun blast. Hendal covers our other side, protecting Elta. The pilot lies motionless by the Hawk, scorch marks streaked across his coat. Olly moves away, barreling into a pair of the aliens. It creates an opening, and a Dreg slips in. The cutthroat stops in front of me, brandishing a sizzling dagger. “HELP!” I scream, desperately swinging my arms to ward off the Dreg. A wave of Light lashes out, vaporizing the Dreg. My eyes widen as a bolt of living lightning shaped like a Huntress flashes by. She tears through the Fallen, dancing her way around us and leaving nothing in her wake. The other Guardians take advantage of the turning tide and abandon their defensive stances, plowing into the enemy. In an instant the Guardians have killed the last of the pirates. The crackling lightning fades to reveal Beladona, holding two long knives forged from her Light. The blades evaporate as she turns to us, “Close call, huh?” “Good timing,” Hendal agrees casually, taking on a relaxed tone as if we hadn’t just survived a near-death experience, “We were fine, but that was too close for the civilians. You weren’t waiting for the most dramatic moment to hop in, were you?” Beladona barks a laugh then slumps forward, resting her hands on her knees. Even from a distance I can hear her breaths come out in labored, ragged bursts. “You okay?” Elena asks. “Do you know,“ Beladona pants, “How far. I had to run. To get here?” “Pfft,” Hendal holds back a laugh. “We lost Parsin,” Olly announces. We all follow his gaze to the corpse of the pilot, lying beside the husk of the City Hawk. A heavy weight settles on my mind. One of us is dead, and I could have ended up right there with him. “His name’s Parsin?” Elena questions, stepping over the bodies of the Fallen to get to the pilot. “Think so,” Olly replies somberly, “It’s what I heard.” Elena kneels over our companion and turns her head to look at Olly. “It’s a nice name. Help’s coming?” A Ghost materializes between Beladona and Hendal. I can’t tell which of them it belongs to. “There’s a Vanguard response team on the way,” it drones with a mechanical voice, “We’ll be on our way home soon.” “That’s good,” Elena sighs, “Hopefully that’s the last of the Fallen.” The now-familiar boom of a Skiff slipping out of stealth echoes across the field. Then another. They’re close. “Light,” Olly curses as we turn to face the sound, “More?” “I can’t take any more theatrical timing today…” Hendal‘s complaint dies on his lips. A single red flare hangs in the air between the approaching Skiffs, its light already beginning to sputter out. “Is that a…” Beladona’s voice sounds hollow. “GET DOWN!”