Danger Looms

Location: Veridian - Ashton Ridge, Defensive Line

Date: February 5, 2533

Time: 1100 Hours

The streets of Ashton Ridge had turned into a war zone, and every inch we gained was paid for in blood and sweat. The Covenant wasn't letting up, and neither were we. Plasma fire crisscrossed the air above us as Bravo and Alpha fireteams held the line, exchanging shot after shot with the advancing Covenant forces.

We had managed to secure the main civilian evacuation route, but there were still pockets of civilians trapped deeper in the city. The priority was keeping the Covenant from overwhelming our position long enough for the final group of evacuees to make it through.

I ducked behind a half-collapsed building, my rifle raised as I scanned the rooftops. The Covenant had set up snipers—Jackals perched high, their needle rifles trained on our line. It was a deadly game of cat and mouse, and one wrong move could be fatal.

"Cass, on your left!" Alice called out over the comms, her voice sharp.

I turned just in time to see a group of Grunts breaking through a gap in our defenses. They were charging toward us, their plasma pistols glowing as they fired wildly. I raised my rifle, squeezing the trigger in quick, controlled bursts, taking down two of them before they got too close.

Silva and Barnes moved in beside me, adding their firepower to the fight. The Grunts fell quickly, but the sound of energy shields crackling warned me that something bigger was coming.

"Get ready," I muttered, my pulse racing as I braced for the next wave.

And then they appeared—two Elites, their energy swords igniting with a flash of blue light as they charged at us.

I gritted my teeth, firing at the closest one, but its shields held strong. The second Elite lunged at Barnes, swinging its energy sword with terrifying speed.

Barnes barely dodged the strike, stumbling back as the Elite pressed its attack. I shifted my aim, putting three rounds into its side, the shields flaring and dropping just before Barnes fired a perfect shot into its head.

The Elite collapsed, its energy sword deactivating as it hit the ground.

"One down," I muttered, turning my focus back to the other Elite, but it was already closing in on me, its energy sword raised high.

Before I could react, Sam appeared beside me, her sidearm raised as she fired two quick shots into the Elite's exposed flank. Its shields flickered, giving me the opening I needed. I fired, the rounds tearing through the alien's chest, dropping it to the ground.

"You're welcome," Sam said, her voice tight but laced with just a hint of her usual humor.

I glanced at her, my heart still racing from the intensity of the fight. "You've been saving my ass a lot lately."

She gave me a small smile, but I could see the exhaustion in her eyes. She was pushing herself hard, but something still wasn't right. Her earlier sickness had shaken her more than she was letting on, and it wasn't just combat fatigue.

"Keep an eye on her," I told myself, but I didn't say it out loud. There was no time for a heart-to-heart now. We had a mission to complete, and the Covenant wasn't slowing down.

Location: Veridian - Ashton Ridge, Secondary Evacuation Point

Date: February 5, 2533

Time: 1130 Hours

After holding the line for what felt like an eternity, we finally got word that the last group of civilians had reached the evacuation point. It was a small victory, but the battle was far from over. The Covenant was still pouring into the city, and UNSC forces were stretched thin trying to hold them back.

"Cass, Alice, we've got incoming on the west side," Doss's voice crackled over the comms. "More Elites and armor. We need to regroup and hold the evac route until the Pelicans arrive."

I nodded, wiping sweat from my brow as I motioned for Bravo Fireteam to fall back to the rally point. Alice was already coordinating her fireteam, and together, we pulled back, forming a defensive perimeter around the secondary evacuation point.

The air was thick with the smell of burning metal and the acrid scent of plasma. The sounds of war surrounded us—explosions, gunfire, the guttural roars of Elites as they led their forces into battle.

"Sam, how's everyone holding up?" I asked, glancing over at her as she checked on one of the rookies who had taken a hit to the leg.

She looked up, her face pale but focused. "We're good, for now. Nothing I can't handle."

But there was something in her eyes—something distant, distracted. I could tell she wasn't feeling well, but she was pushing through it. That was who Sam was. Always tough, always putting others first, even when she was barely holding it together.

I made a mental note to talk to her after the mission. Something wasn't right, and I needed to know what was going on.

Location: Veridian - Ashton Ridge, UNSC Defensive Line

Date: February 5, 2533

Time: 1145 Hours

The next wave hit us hard.

Covenant armor rolled in from the west, the ground shaking under the weight of Wraith tanks and Ghosts. Elites led the charge, their energy swords glowing like beacons as they charged through the smoke. Jackals and Grunts swarmed the streets, their plasma fire filling the air with deadly light.

"Hold the line!" Doss barked over the comms, his voice unyielding as he directed fire from the heavier UNSC guns.

I dropped into position, my rifle kicking in my hands as I fired into the advancing Covenant forces. Plasma fire streaked past me, the heat searing the air as we fought to hold our ground.

"Cass, we're getting overrun on the left!" Alice called out, her voice tense.

I turned, seeing a group of Elites and Ghosts breaking through the UNSC defensive line. My heart pounded as I motioned for Bravo Fireteam to reposition. We needed to hold them back, or the entire defensive perimeter would collapse.

"Push them back!" I shouted, firing at the lead Elite as I sprinted to cover.

The fight was brutal, the Covenant pushing us to our limits, but we held. We didn't have a choice. If we lost this position, we'd lose the evacuation point—and the civilians with it.

In the middle of the chaos, I glanced at Sam again. She was still moving, still working, but her face was pale, and I saw her pause for a moment, clutching her stomach as if fighting back another wave of nausea.

Something was wrong.