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Location: New Damascus, Research Facility - Data Room

Date: July 5, 2531

Time: 0850 Hours

The seconds felt like hours as we hunkered down in the data room, waiting for the next Covenant attack. The soft hum of the servers provided an eerie contrast to the chaos just outside the walls. My heart pounded in my chest, my fingers gripping Allen's rifle tightly as I crouched behind cover. The weight of his dog tags against my chest felt heavier with every passing minute.

Doc was working at the terminal, her fingers flying over the keys as she tried to secure the data files. "Just a little longer," she muttered, her voice tense.

"How much longer?" Fumble asked, his back pressed against the server racks as he reloaded his SPNKR. "Because we're about to have company."

Fumble was right. The sounds of Covenant forces gathering just outside the data room were unmistakable—the telltale hum of energy shields, the guttural growls of Elites giving orders, and the steady march of Grunts and Jackals preparing for a final push.

"We hold the line," I said, my voice sounding more confident than I felt. "We hold until we get that data and call for extraction. No matter what."

Fumble glanced at me, a flicker of respect in his eyes. "You got it, Junior."

I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what was coming. We were outnumbered, outgunned, and running out of time, but I couldn't afford to think about that now. Allen wouldn't have. He would've found a way to lead us through this, and now it was my turn to do the same.

"Slink, you set up?" I asked, turning toward her position near the door.

She nodded, her MA5C raised and ready. "Yeah. As ready as I'll ever be."

The tension in her voice wasn't lost on me, but neither of us acknowledged it. We didn't have time to dwell on it. The Covenant wasn't going to wait for us to mourn Allen.

Location: New Damascus, Research Facility - Data Room

Date: July 5, 2531

Time: 0855 Hours

The Covenant hit us like a freight train.

The door to the data room exploded inward, showering us with debris as a group of Grunts charged in, their plasma pistols already glowing with deadly energy. Behind them, I could see the flash of Jackal shields and the hulking form of an Elite barking orders in their guttural language.

"Contact!" I shouted, raising my rifle and firing a burst at the nearest Grunt. The rounds hit home, the alien squealing as it crumpled to the ground, its methane tank hissing as it fell.

Fumble was already moving, his SPNKR up and ready. "Say hello to my little friend," he growled, firing off a rocket that streaked across the room and exploded in the middle of the Jackals. The blast sent their shields flying, leaving them exposed for Slink to pick off with well-placed shots.

But the Elite was still standing, its energy shields flickering as it stormed into the room, plasma rifle blazing. I ducked behind cover as the plasma shots flew overhead, the heat from the bolts searing the air around me.

"Fumble, take down that Elite!" I shouted, my heart racing as I peeked out from behind the server rack to return fire.

"I'm on it!" Fumble replied, already loading another rocket.

The Elite roared, charging toward us with terrifying speed, its energy sword igniting in a blaze of blue light. My breath caught in my throat as it closed the distance, its shield still holding.

"Not today," Fumble growled, firing his SPNKR.

The rocket hit the Elite square in the chest, its shields flaring before finally collapsing. The explosion sent the alien flying back, its energy sword flickering out as it hit the ground, lifeless.

"Got him!" Fumble called, grinning despite the chaos around us.

But there was no time to celebrate. More Covenant forces were pouring in, and we were running out of space to retreat.

"How much longer, Doc?" I called out, my voice strained as I fired another burst at a group of advancing Grunts.

"Almost there!" she shouted back, her eyes never leaving the terminal. "Just a few more seconds!"

Location: New Damascus, Research Facility - Data Room

Date: July 5, 2531

Time: 0900 Hours

The Covenant was relentless, and the firefight was intensifying with every passing second. Plasma bolts flew through the air, ricocheting off the server racks and leaving scorch marks across the walls. The sound of gunfire and alien growls echoed in the tight space, making it hard to think, hard to breathe.

But I couldn't let myself falter. Not now.

"Slink, hold the door!" I shouted, moving to her side as the next wave of Grunts and Jackals pushed through the wreckage.

"I'm trying!" she shouted back, her voice tight with frustration as she fired her MA5C in controlled bursts. "But we're getting overrun!"

She wasn't wrong. The Covenant was swarming us, and we were barely holding them off. The smell of burnt flesh and plasma filled the air, mixing with the acrid stench of gunpowder. It was overwhelming.

"Fumble, reload and get ready to fire again!" I ordered, my voice hoarse as I tried to keep us together. "We're not letting them take this room!"

He nodded, quickly reloading his SPNKR as the Covenant forces pushed closer. "On it, Junior! Just keep them off me for another second!"

The pressure was mounting. I could feel it, the weight of the situation bearing down on me. We couldn't hold them off forever, and I knew it. But we didn't need to. We just needed a few more seconds.

"Doc, status!" I shouted, my rifle barking out another burst of fire as I dropped another Jackal.

"Got it!" she called out, finally pulling the data chip from the terminal. "Data's secured!"

Relief washed over me, but it was short-lived. The Covenant wasn't letting up, and we still needed to find a way out.

"Fall back to the hallway!" I ordered, my voice cutting through the chaos. "We've got what we came for! Let's move!"

Location: New Damascus, Research Facility - Hallway

Date: July 5, 2531

Time: 0910 Hours

We burst out of the data room, the Covenant hot on our heels as we sprinted down the narrow hallway. Plasma bolts sizzled past us, exploding against the walls and sending chunks of debris raining down.

I could feel the cold weight of Allen's dog tags against my chest as I ran, a constant reminder of the responsibility I now carried. I wasn't just another trooper anymore. I was leading this squad. And I had to get us out of here alive.

"Move, move, move!" I shouted, urging the team forward as we rounded a corner and headed for the exit.

Fumble was right behind me, his SPNKR slung over his shoulder as he fired his sidearm at the pursuing Grunts. "We're not gonna make it at this pace!" he shouted, his voice full of strain.

"We don't have a choice!" I snapped back, my lungs burning as I pushed myself harder.

We could see the exit up ahead, the light from outside filtering through the smoke and dust. Just a little further.

"Hold the line!" I shouted, turning to fire one last burst at the Covenant forces before diving through the door.

Location: New Damascus, Research Facility - Outside Perimeter

Date: July 5, 2531

Time: 0915 Hours

We hit the outside perimeter, the cold air of New Damascus biting at my skin as we stumbled out of the facility and into the open. The Covenant forces were still behind us, but we had a moment to regroup, a moment to breathe.

"Call for extraction!" I ordered, my voice hoarse from the firefight. "We need to get out of here, now!"

Doc was already on it, her comms crackling to life as she called for a Pelican to pick us up. "Extraction team en route!" she shouted, her voice full of urgency. "ETA, five minutes!"

Five minutes. We just had to hold out for five minutes.

But as I looked back at the facility, I saw the Covenant forces massing again, preparing for another push. They weren't going to let us go without a fight.

"We hold here," I said, my voice steady as I raised my rifle. "We hold until extraction."

The team nodded, falling into position around me. We were battered, exhausted, and grieving, but we weren't done yet. Not by a long shot.