Location: Arcadia, Pirth City, Extraction Point
Space System: Procyon System
Date: March 3, 2531
Time: 0710 Hours
The Wraith loomed in front of us, its plasma cannon glowing hot as it recharged for another blast. We had seconds, maybe less. I could feel the heat from the last shot still radiating off the debris as Allen and I darted to the side, trying to get around its flank.
"Ramirez, we need a hit now!" Allen barked through the comms.
"I'm working on it, boss!" Ramirez shouted back, reloading the SPNKR with shaking hands. The damn thing took too long to reload when you were under fire, and the Wraith wasn't giving us any breaks.
I was already moving, my mind racing. We couldn't take another shot from that cannon. My HUD flashed red as my shields strained from the heat, warning me that I was pushing them too hard.
"Slink!" Allen called out, "we need those explosives prepped now!"
She was already ahead of him, moving with the precision that only Slink could muster, her hands a blur as she set a satchel charge on the side of the building we'd been using as cover. "Gonna need a minute!" she hissed.
We didn't have a minute.
The Wraith shifted, its cannon swiveling toward us. I could feel my heart pounding in my ears, my grip tightening on my rifle. This was it.
And then, from nowhere, the ground shook with a different kind of force—a deafening crash of metal and energy that rattled my teeth. For a split second, I thought the Wraith had fired. But when I looked up, I saw something else entirely.
A figure landed between us and the Wraith, a massive silhouette in green armor. Spartan.
The next few moments blurred together in a flurry of movement. I barely had time to register the sight before the Spartan charged the Wraith, faster than I thought possible for someone that size. Their MJOLNIR armor gleamed under the arc of plasma as they ducked low, avoiding the Wraith's cannon, then jumped onto its hull in one fluid motion. A second Spartan appeared behind them, laying down suppressive fire with a battle rifle, keeping the surrounding Grunts and Jackals at bay.
"Holy shit…" I heard Ramirez mutter through the comms.
We watched in stunned silence as the Spartan on the Wraith placed a pair of charges on its engine core. There was a flash of light, and a second later, the back of the Wraith exploded in a fireball of twisted metal, the whole thing collapsing in on itself. The Spartan leapt off just before the blast, landing in a crouch next to the wreckage as if they hadn't just taken down a Covenant tank in the span of ten seconds.
The area was clear. All of the Covenant forces nearby were either down or running for their lives.
For a moment, no one moved. I was still processing what I'd just seen. Sure, I'd heard about the Spartans. Everyone had. They were legends, walking myths—super-soldiers bred for combat, the UNSC's secret weapon. But seeing them in action, up close? That was something else.
The Spartan nearest to me straightened up, towering over all of us. Their armor was scratched and scorched from battle, but they moved like it weighed nothing. I could just make out the reflective gold visor, no hint of a face beneath it.
Allen stepped forward, giving the Spartan a quick nod of respect. "Hell of a save. Didn't think we were getting out of that one."
The Spartan nodded once, their voice coming through a modulated speaker in the helmet. "You're clear for now. There's more Covenant forces moving into the sector. Get your squad out of here." The voice was deep, calm, and utterly in control. Like they didn't even break a sweat taking down that Wraith.
"Appreciate the assist, Spartan," Allen said. "But we've got civilians to extract. Any chance you can cover us while we move?"
The Spartan didn't hesitate. "Negative. We've got orders to assist other units. Pelicans are inbound. Stay alive until then."
Before any of us could respond, they turned, motioning to the second Spartan. Both of them sprinted toward the next engagement zone, disappearing into the smoke and rubble as fast as they had appeared. No fanfare. No sticking around. Just business.
I blinked, still standing in place, my rifle half-lowered. Slink gave a low whistle from beside me, shaking her head. "Well, ain't that somethin'. Guess that's why they pay 'em the big bucks."
Ramirez was still staring after the Spartans. "Those guys… They're like something out of a holo-drama."
"No kidding," I muttered, feeling the adrenaline start to ebb. "I didn't think anyone moved like that."
Allen brought us back to reality. "Beta Four, focus. Spartans or not, we've still got a job to do. Pelicans are inbound, and the Covenant's not gonna wait. Let's get these civilians out."
His voice snapped me back into action. Right. We weren't done yet. The civilians—three of them, huddled behind a pile of debris—were still waiting for us to get them out. The kid was crying softly, his mother holding him close. I could see the fear in their eyes, the relief that washed over them after the Wraith was gone, but the terror of the situation was still heavy in the air.
I knelt beside them, my voice steady. "It's okay. We're getting you out of here. Just stay close to me."
The politician, the father, nodded, his face pale but determined. "Thank you," he whispered. "Thank you for saving us."
I didn't say anything. We hadn't saved them yet. Not really. That was the Spartans.
Location: Arcadia, Pirth City, Extraction Point
Date: March 3, 2531
Time: 0715 Hours
We formed up around the civilians, moving toward the extraction point, now only a few hundred meters away. I could see the Pelicans coming in low, their engines a welcome sound in the chaos. Allen took point, his rifle raised, while Slink covered the rear, her eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of more Covenant forces.
"Keep it tight," Allen ordered. "We're almost there."
We moved quickly, covering the last stretch of open ground as the Pelicans touched down. The ramps lowered, and UNSC Marines poured out, securing the area with practiced efficiency. One of them, a lieutenant by the look of his insignia, waved us over.
"You Beta Four?" he called out.
"Yeah," Allen replied. "We've got the civilians. They need evac, now."
The lieutenant nodded. "Get 'em aboard. We'll cover you."
I guided the civilians up the ramp, the kid still clinging to his mother's leg. Once they were inside, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. We'd done it. We'd actually done it.
As soon as the civilians were secured, Allen turned to us. "Alright, Beta Four. Let's get on that Pelican and get the hell off this rock."
I started to follow, but something made me pause. A sound—faint, but there. I stopped, turning just in time to see movement in the distance.
A Covenant Banshee.
It came roaring in fast, its plasma cannons already lighting up as it locked onto our position.
"Down!" Allen shouted, but there was no cover left. We were exposed, caught out in the open.
The Banshee fired.
I dropped to the ground, feeling the heat of the plasma rounds as they streaked overhead. There was a deafening explosion behind me, followed by the whine of the Pelican's engines as it tried to take off.
Ramirez was already firing back, his M41 SPNKR locked and loaded. He aimed, fired—and hit the Banshee dead-on. It spiraled out of control, smashing into the ground in a ball of fire.
But the damage was done.
The Pelican was on fire, its engines sputtering as it struggled to lift off.
"We've got a problem!" Slink shouted, her voice strained.
I could see it. The Pelican wasn't going to make it.