The New Vanguard: Chapter 3- Uldren in the Tower

Transcribed by: Sara Bankemper

Narrator: The jump back to the tower from the EDZ seemed to take longer than normal. Maybe it was just my anxiety bubbling up again.

Ghost: [to Titan] "You know what Zavala will say when he finds out you didn't show him the entire recording, don't you?"

Narrator: I turned to her and said...

Titan: [sounding annoyed] "For the last time, stop lecturing me. This is the right thing to do."

Narrator: The entire flight back, my Ghost just rambled on and on about how I didn't understand the ramifications of what was going to happen. She just prattled over and over about how this would split the entire population.

Ghost: "But--"

Titan: "This world needs more forgiveness and less condemnation. Less tribal BS and more cooperation. It's bad enough I have to listen to the Dead Orbit and New Monarchy garbage in the Tower from the civilians, and then there's the Future War Cult with the never-ending warnings about the coming apocalypse."

Ghost: "I just--"

Narrator: I grabbed the little light and shoved it into a compartment under my seat and slammed the drawer shut.

Titan: "I said, shut up!"

Saint: [over comms] "Guardian. We're dropping soon."

Titan: "I'm right there with you, Saint."

Narrator: I replied resolutely. I was prepared for whatever would happen, even if it meant violating the no-combat order. I was fully armed and ready to stand my ground. The little light was rattling under my seat. I could feel her growing frustration as she attempted to get out of the small space I had unceremoniously shoved her into. So I yanked open the drawer and she floated out.

Ghost: [quietly] "I'm sorry."

Titan: "So am I."

Narrator: The plan was to have all three of us drop in and quickly move toward Zavala so as to draw as little attention as possible. It was going to escalate quickly. We just weren't sure in what manner. I don't think Saint fully understood what he was getting himself into. His strolls into the Courtyard and through the Bazaar would always draw crowds of civilians and Guardians. They wanted to hear his confident voice assuring them and calming the constant fear in the air. Not too many ever ventured into the Hangar. Holiday didn't like the random civilians wandering around her equipment and disrupting her crew as they performed their duties. She always got a little peeved when Xur would seemingly pop up out of nowhere. The extra foot traffic was distracting her smooth running operation. But that's why I needed him. Why we all needed him, now more than ever. The transmat dropped all three of us into the courtyard, and before I could even take a step, Saint called out to Zavala.

Saint: "Zavala!"

Narrator: He yelled with all the subtlety of Actium War Rig and Sweet Business and a Crucible match.

Saint: “Come, come. We must speak.”

Narrator: Saint's booming voice immediately turned every eye onto us, and the murmuring started. He was definitely a fellow Titan. You could easily tell by the subtlety which he handled delicate situations like this one. Why was Saint out of the Hangar? Why was he yelling at Zavala? I could hear the murmurings from the gathering crowd of people. Fortunately, Uldren had smartly left his helmet on. He slid behind me, only glancing over my shoulder to momentarily assess the growing crowd. The vibe was still positive. Then Zavala made his way to us.

Zavala: [in a deep tone] "Saint."

Narrator: He said calmly, putting his hands behind his back in an official-looking stance.

Zavala: "What brings you to the Courtyard today? Does Lord Shaxx have you recruiting for the Trials matches again?"

Narrator: That's when Lord Shaxx parted the group with his booming voice.

Lord Shaxx: [speaking regally] "Saint-14! It's always good to see you. Come. Let us get a drink together. There is a new--"

Narrator: Saint cut him off.

Saint: [kindly] "Not today, my friend. I have more pressing matters, but I am glad you are here."

Narrator: He turned back to Zavala who was growing impatient with the distraction from his regular duties.

Saint: “Zavala, I know you need all Guardians on deck to face the Darkness. So, I have brought another to support our cause.”

Narrator: Saint turned and pulled Uldren from behind me. He flipped Uldren's helmet off his head and threw his arm around Uldren's narrow shoulders, shaking him with a hearty hug. Both of them looked back at Zavala as he bent down to pick up the helmet on the cement floor. When Zavala made eye contact with Uldren, his hands clenched around the helmet in his grasp, crushing it like a flimsy soda can. Zavala's eyes seemed to glaze over and I could feel the rage bubbling up in him. The very next sound that rattled in my ears was the collective clicking of bullets in chambers and safeties releasing. This wasn't going to end well.