The battlefield surrounding Arcadia's spaceport erupted into chaos as the Covenant's reinforcements landed. Jamie watched as Grunts and Elites poured out of Phantom dropships, rushing forward in disciplined waves. Banshees screamed overhead, unleashing plasma fire that scorched the landscape. The Covenant were determined to retake the terminal, and they were throwing everything they had at the UNSC forces holding the line.
Jamie had no time to hesitate. He raised his shotgun and joined the defense, charging headlong into the fray with his Marines at his side. The first Covenant wave was comprised mostly of Grunts, their methane tanks hissing as they clumsily advanced, firing bursts of plasma from their weapons. Jamie cut them down with precision, his shotgun barking with each pull of the trigger. In seconds, the Grunts were reduced to smoldering heaps, but more were already moving to take their place.
The real threat, however, was the Elites. A squad of four Sangheili warriors moved in formation, their plasma rifles firing in coordinated bursts. Jamie spotted them as they closed in, their shields shimmering with the deadly energy they carried. They were tactically sound, advancing in unison behind their lighter infantry support.
"Marines, focus fire on the Elites!" Jamie ordered through the comms. His voice was firm, cutting through the chaos of the battle.
The UNSC troops shifted their fire, aiming for the Elites as the towering warriors pressed forward. Jamie ducked behind a low barricade as plasma bolts flew over his head, one of them impacting the crate beside him, sending sparks and debris flying. His HUD flashed red, warning him of multiple incoming threats.
Jamie sprang up, sprinting toward the Elites. They spotted him immediately, recognizing the deadly threat of a Spartan charging at full speed. One Elite barked orders to the others, and they fanned out, trying to catch Jamie in a crossfire. But Jamie was faster. He slid to the side just as they opened fire, plasma bolts passing harmlessly by as he rolled to his feet, closing the distance with terrifying speed.
He launched himself at the nearest Elite, using his armor's enhanced strength to knock the Sangheili off balance. Before the Elite could recover, Jamie fired his shotgun point-blank into its chest. The force of the blast collapsed its shields, and a second shot finished it off, leaving the Elite crumpled on the ground.
The remaining three Elites moved in unison, attempting to flank him. Jamie was ready, darting to the side as they converged, forcing one of the Elites to turn too sharply. He exploited the gap in their coordination, firing a grenade from his underslung launcher. The explosive detonated at the feet of one of the Elites, its shields flickering out as it was thrown backward.
With another quick burst from his rifle, Jamie cut down the second Elite. The third charged at him with a plasma sword ignited, a ferocious roar emanating from the warrior's mandibles. Jamie sidestepped the attack, his combat knife flashing as he drove it into the Elite's exposed neck. The Sangheili stumbled, gasping for breath, before collapsing at Jamie's feet.
"Clear!" Jamie shouted, signaling the Marines to push forward.
They surged past him, taking advantage of the brief lull to establish a more fortified position within the terminal's outer perimeter. For a few precious moments, the area was calm, though the distant sounds of battle echoed from every direction. Jamie knew this was just the beginning—Arcadia's spaceport was far from safe.
As Jamie moved to regroup with his squad, Cortana's voice came through his helmet again, bringing an unsettling update.
"Jamie, I'm detecting increased Covenant activity to the north. I'm getting reports of Wraiths moving into position. If they get into range, they'll bombard this entire area. We need to take them out before they hit us."
Jamie gritted his teeth. Wraiths—Covenant mortar tanks—were devastating long-range weapons. If the Covenant established artillery positions around the spaceport, the UNSC forces would be pinned down, and the evacuation could be cut short.
"I'll take care of it," Jamie said. "Get me an exact location."
Cortana quickly highlighted the position of the Wraiths on Jamie's HUD. They were setting up in a nearby plaza, using the cover of the surrounding buildings to shield themselves from airstrikes.
"Looks like there's a squad of Ghosts patrolling the area, too," Cortana added. "This won't be easy."
"Easy's not in my vocabulary," Jamie muttered, already signaling for a squad of Marines to follow him.
As they made their way toward the northern plaza, the sounds of battle intensified. Covenant forces were closing in on all sides, and the sky above was filled with the constant shriek of Banshees and the distant rumble of Spirit of Fire's own orbital support.
Jamie moved swiftly, keeping low as they advanced through the ruined streets. His enhanced senses kept him alert, scanning for any sign of the Ghost patrols. The streets were eerily quiet, save for the occasional distant explosion. It was the calm before the storm, and Jamie knew the Covenant were waiting.
As they rounded a corner, the plaza came into view. Sure enough, three Wraiths were setting up behind makeshift barricades of rubble and debris, their massive plasma mortars aimed toward the spaceport. Ghosts patrolled the perimeter, their plasma cannons glowing with ominous energy.
Jamie motioned for the Marines to take cover behind a collapsed wall. He counted the Ghosts—four in total, piloted by Elites. He'd have to deal with them before they could focus on the Wraiths.
"Cortana, can you pinpoint any weak spots in their patrol pattern?" Jamie asked, watching the Ghosts move in tight formation.
"I've already got it," she replied. "There's a brief gap in their pattern when they circle around the far side of the plaza. If you time it right, you can catch them off guard."
Jamie grinned behind his visor. "Let's get it done."
He signaled to his Marines, and they moved into position. When the moment was right, Jamie charged forward, sprinting across the open ground with inhuman speed. He closed the distance between him and the nearest Ghost before the pilot even had a chance to react.
With a leap, Jamie landed on the Ghost's rear, yanking the Elite out of the seat with one hand while slamming his pistol into the alien's skull with the other. The Elite slumped to the ground, unconscious or dead, as Jamie took control of the vehicle.
The other Ghosts reacted immediately, turning to engage, but Jamie was faster. He hit the throttle, the Ghost surging forward as he weaved between the plasma fire. The agile vehicle responded to every touch, and Jamie fired the Ghost's cannons with precision, destroying one of the enemy vehicles with a direct hit.
The remaining two Ghosts tried to flank him, but Jamie maneuvered expertly, outpacing their attempts to box him in. One by one, he picked them off, leaving the plaza littered with the wreckage of Covenant vehicles.
"Ghosts are down," Jamie reported over the comms. "I'm moving on the Wraiths."
The Wraiths had already started to fire their plasma mortars, but they hadn't yet locked onto the spaceport. Jamie pushed the Ghost to its limit, dodging incoming fire as he approached the nearest Wraith. He leaped from the Ghost, landing on the Wraith's hull. The Sangheili gunner inside the tank tried to turn the turret, but Jamie was already prying open the hatch.
With brutal efficiency, Jamie tossed a grenade inside and leaped off the Wraith just before the explosion tore it apart. He didn't pause to celebrate the kill—there were still two more to go.
The Marines moved in to engage the second Wraith, their rocket launchers firing in unison. Jamie charged toward the final tank, dodging its mortar fire as he closed the distance. Another well-placed grenade took care of the last Wraith, the massive tank erupting in a fireball of blue plasma.
"Wraiths are neutralized," Jamie said, breathing heavily as he surveyed the wreckage. "Spaceport should be clear of artillery."
"Good work," Cortana replied. "But we're not out of the woods yet. I'm detecting Covenant dropships inbound. Looks like they're preparing for another assault."
Jamie clenched his fists. The Covenant were relentless, and no matter how many of them they killed, more seemed to arrive.
"We'll be ready for them," Jamie said, his resolve unshaken. "We're not losing Arcadia."
As he regrouped with the Marines, preparing for the next wave, he knew the battle was far from over. But as long as he was still standing, the Covenant wouldn't take this world.
Not while he could fight.