The summit's biting winds cut through Lucia's skin like a blade, but the chill was drowned out by the roar of gunfire and the hum of Dominion energy weapons. The Fractured had reached the ridge, but there was no reprieve—this was their stand, and failure here would mean annihilation.
"Take positions!" Talon's voice thundered, sharp and unyielding. He crouched behind a jagged boulder, his rifle snapping off precise shots. "Hold them back as long as you can!"
Lucia dropped into cover beside Mira, her heart hammering as the first Reaper crested the ridge. The enhanced soldier moved with deadly grace, his dark armor gleaming under the pale moonlight. His movements were mechanical, almost inhuman, as if precision had been programmed into his very being.
Mira didn't hesitate. A single explosive arrow from her crossbow embedded itself in the Reaper's chest, detonating in a violent burst of fire and shrapnel. The force hurled the Reaper backward, but two more emerged in his place, their weapons blazing.
"They just keep coming!" Mira hissed, reloading swiftly.
"We can't let them push us back," Lucia said, her voice steadier than she felt. "We hold the ridge, no matter what."
She leveled her rifle, aiming for the next Reaper. Her shot was true, striking the soldier in the throat. The Reaper staggered but didn't fall, his reinforced armor absorbing much of the impact. Before she could fire again, a burst of energy zipped past her, searing the air inches from her face.
"Down!" Talon barked, grabbing her shoulder and pulling her into cover.
Lucia gasped, the heat of the shot still lingering on her skin. She clenched her jaw, forcing the fear away. The Dominion had always been relentless, but this was something else. They weren't just trying to capture the Fractured; they were out to destroy them entirely.
Cal's voice crackled through the comms. "I've got eyes on their reinforcements. They're deploying another squad to flank us. We need to move, or we're done!"
Talon responded without hesitation. "Not yet. We buy time for the others to reach the fallback point. Then we regroup."
Lucia's stomach churned. She knew what that meant. The few of them on the ridge were expendable—sacrifices to ensure the others escaped. But she pushed the thought aside. The Fractured were counting on her, and she wouldn't let them down.
"Lucia!" Talon's voice cut through her thoughts. "Take Mira and Cal. Hit their flank before they can box us in."
Lucia nodded, signaling to Mira. They darted through the chaos, staying low as bullets and energy blasts filled the air. Cal met them at the edge of the ridge, his face grim but resolute.
"This way," he said, pointing to a narrow ledge that snaked around the mountain. "We'll cut through the rocks and hit them before they can set up."
Lucia followed without question, her heart pounding as they crept along the ledge. Below them, the Dominion forces were swarming, their armored forms moving like a dark tide. She could see the faint glow of their weaponry, hear the bark of orders over the wind.
"They're spreading out," Mira murmured, her sharp eyes scanning the formation. "If we don't stop them now, they'll overwhelm the ridge."
Lucia's grip tightened on her rifle. "Then we don't let them."
Cal led them to a position overlooking the Dominion's flank. From here, they could see the advancing squad, their movements methodical as they scaled the mountain. These soldiers weren't like the others—they were smaller, faster, and their weapons were built for close combat.
"Stealth unit," Cal muttered. "They'll tear through our defenses in seconds if they get close enough."
Mira set her crossbow, her fingers steady despite the tension. "Not if we take them out first."
Lucia adjusted her scope, lining up her shot. "On my mark. We take out their leader first."
The seconds stretched into eternity as the squad moved closer. Lucia's breath steadied, her focus narrowing to the armored figure at the squad's center.
"Now."
Her rifle cracked, the shot piercing the leader's helmet with surgical precision. The Dominion soldier collapsed, and chaos erupted as the remaining soldiers scrambled to react. Mira's arrows flew true, striking two more soldiers in rapid succession. Cal opened fire, his assault rifle unleashing a hail of bullets that forced the squad into disarray.
But the Dominion wasn't unprepared. One of the stealth soldiers leapt toward their position with unnatural speed, his blade glinting in the moonlight.
"Lucia!" Mira shouted.
Lucia turned just in time to see the soldier closing in. She fired instinctively, her shot grazing the soldier's side. But he didn't stop. His blade slashed toward her, and she barely managed to block it with the barrel of her rifle. The force knocked her backward, and she stumbled, the ledge crumbling beneath her feet.
She felt herself falling, the world tilting as the wind rushed past her. But then a hand grabbed hers, pulling her back from the edge.
"Got you," Cal grunted, his face strained with effort as he hauled her to safety.
Lucia gasped, her heart racing as she scrambled to her feet. "Thanks."
"No time for thanks," Cal said, firing at another soldier. "We're not done yet."
The Dominion squad was retreating now, their numbers reduced and their formation broken. But Lucia knew it wouldn't last. This was just a fraction of the forces hunting them.
"We need to get back to the ridge," she said, her voice firm. "Talon's holding them off, but he can't do it alone."
Mira nodded, her expression grim. "Let's move."
The three of them sprinted back toward the ridge, the sounds of battle growing louder with every step. When they arrived, the scene was dire. Talon and the remaining Fractured were holding the line, but barely. The Dominion forces were pressing hard, their Reapers leading the charge.
"Talon!" Lucia shouted, firing into the fray as she rejoined the fight.
He turned, his face streaked with dirt and blood. "You're late."
"Had to take the scenic route," she said, her tone wry despite the chaos.
Talon smirked, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Glad you're back. Now help me keep these bastards off our backs."
Lucia fell into formation beside him, her rifle spitting fire as the Dominion pushed closer. The ridge was a maelstrom of smoke and blood, but the Fractured fought with everything they had. They weren't just fighting for survival—they were fighting for a future.
The Reapers were relentless, their enhanced bodies shrugging off wounds that would have killed normal soldiers. But the Fractured were resourceful. Mira's explosive arrows detonated with devastating force, and Cal's precise shots found every weak point in the Reapers' armor.
Lucia's focus narrowed to a single goal: hold the line. Every shot, every movement was calculated, deliberate. She couldn't afford to falter.
The Dominion forces began to falter, their momentum slowing as the Fractured's resistance proved more than they had anticipated. But Lucia knew this wasn't the end.
"We've bought ourselves some time," Talon said, his voice low. "But we can't stay here. We need to move before they regroup."
Lucia nodded, her body aching but her resolve unbroken. "Then we keep going. Haven's waiting, and so are the answers we need."
The Fractured regrouped, their numbers smaller but their determination stronger than ever. The path ahead was treacherous, but they had come too far to turn back now.
As the first light of dawn broke over the mountains, Lucia turned her gaze to the horizon. Haven was out there, somewhere. And they would find it—no matter what it took.