Yohan moved through the dense forest outside the city, despite the sharp pain coursing through his body. His wounds, hastily patched up with field supplies, threatened to reopen, but he couldn't afford to slow down.
The extraction point wasn't far now. Each step took him closer to safety. The faint hum of a shuttle's engine reached his ears, a welcome sound after the chaos he'd left behind.
As the clearing came into view, he saw the sleek, matte-black shuttle waiting for him. Two operatives in tactical gear stood at the ramp, their visors glinting under the dim light of the shuttle's exterior.
"Identification," one of them said as Yohan approached.
Yohan raised his hand, his personal communicator emitting a brief pulse of light. The operative checked his device and nodded. "You're clear. Get onboard."
Without a word, Yohan climbed up the ramp, the hiss of hydraulics sealing the shuttle behind him.
