Location: UNSC Forward Operating Base, Virek
Date and Time: May 21, 2553 – 0800 Hours
The morning air is thick with tension. Something's coming. I can feel it. Ever since the ambush that wiped out 1st Squad, everything feels like it's teetering on the edge of chaos. Kane has been quieter than usual, his orders more calculated, more deliberate. But every step he takes feels like it's leading us closer to something big.
As I stand outside the barracks, staring out over the base, I can't shake the feeling that there's more going on than we know. Santiago steps up beside me, his expression mirroring my own unease.
"He's up to something," Santiago says quietly, glancing around as if expecting someone to overhear us. "It's like he's setting the pieces on the board, waiting for the right moment to strike."
I nod, my mind racing. "We need to stay sharp. Watch everything he does. If he's planning something big, we need to be ready," I say, the weight of the situation heavy on my chest. The thought of Kane betraying us still twists in my gut. But until we have proof, there's nothing we can do but watch and wait.
Santiago glances around the base, his eyes narrowing. "You think we're the only ones who see it? Or do you think others are in on it?"
I hesitate, the possibility gnawing at me. If Kane has been feeding intel to the URF, he's not doing it alone. There are too many moving parts, too many variables. And if there are others in the battalion involved, we could be walking right into another trap.
"I don't know," I admit, my voice low. "But we need to assume the worst. We can't trust anyone until we know for sure."
As we head toward the command post for the next briefing, the base feels different. There's an undercurrent of tension, like everyone's holding their breath, waiting for something to snap. Dash and O'Neill fall into step behind us, their usual banter noticeably absent. Everyone feels it—the calm before the storm.
When we reach the command post, Lieutenant Kane is already there, going over the holo-map of our next operation. His expression is as calm as ever, but there's a tightness in his jaw, a flicker in his eyes that tells me he's under pressure. The question is: from who?
"All right, listen up," Kane says, his voice steady as he addresses the room. "We've got intel on a large URF weapons shipment moving through the northern sector. Command wants it neutralized before it can reach their strongholds."
He outlines the plan, but my mind is elsewhere, picking apart every detail. The more I listen, the more I realize it's the perfect setup for another ambush. We're being sent into a kill zone, and Kane knows it.
But he's careful. There's nothing overt in his orders, nothing that would raise alarms for anyone who isn't paying attention. But I am. And I can see the cracks.
As the briefing wraps up, I catch Kane's gaze for a brief moment. His eyes meet mine, and for a second, I wonder if he knows that I'm onto him. But he looks away, turning back to the map.
"We move out in one hour," he says, dismissing us. "Stay sharp out there."
As we leave the command post, I turn to Santiago. "We can't let this happen. If we go through with this, it's going to be 1st Squad all over again."
He nods, his jaw clenched. "We need to find a way to stop it. But without proof, we're stuck."
I think for a moment, the pieces falling into place in my mind. "We might not have proof yet, but we know enough to act. We just need to keep Kane under close watch. The second he slips up, we take him down."
Santiago smirks, the fire returning to his eyes. "I like the sound of that. Let's get to work."
The hour passes quickly as we gear up and prepare for the mission. The weight of what's coming presses down on me with every minute, but I push it aside. Focus. Stay sharp. This could be the moment we've been waiting for.
As we load into the Warthog, Dash leans forward, his eyes serious. "You think something's going down today?"
I meet his gaze and nod. "Yeah. And we need to be ready for it."
We roll out, heading toward the northern sector. The ride is tense, every bump in the road feeling like a countdown to something bigger. The plan is straightforward—hit the convoy, neutralize the weapons shipment, and exfil. But nothing about this feels right. Not anymore.
As we approach the target area, Kane's voice crackles over the comms.
"Bravo Fireteam, hold position on the ridge and wait for my signal. We'll hit them from both sides."
I glance at Santiago, who's already scanning the area. Something's wrong. The convoy is supposed to be moving through here, but the road is empty. No sign of the URF or their shipment.
"Kane, we don't have visual on the convoy," I report, trying to keep my voice steady.
There's a long pause before Kane responds. "Hold position. They'll be there soon."
But they're not. The minutes tick by, and the tension in the air thickens. This is it. This is the setup.
Suddenly, an explosion rocks the ridge, throwing us off balance. The Warthog slams into the side of the hill, and gunfire erupts from all sides. The URF was waiting for us.
"It's a trap!" I shout, scrambling for cover as bullets whiz past. "We're under attack!"
As we return fire, the pieces fall into place in my mind. This is the moment. Kane set us up, and now it's time to act.
But before I can call him out, the comms crackle again—this time with panic.
"Bravo Fireteam, this is 4th Squad! We're being overrun! They—" The transmission cuts off with a burst of static.
My heart sinks. 4th Squad is in trouble, but something tells me it's not just the URF they're fighting.
"Kane," I mutter under my breath. "He's pulling the strings."
I grab the comms and make a call to Command, bypassing Kane entirely. "This is Kowalski. We've been set up! Kane's compromised—he's working with the URF!"
There's a moment of silence, and then a response. "Copy that, Kowalski. Hold position. Reinforcements are en route."
But I know reinforcements won't be enough. The URF is hitting us with everything they've got, and Kane's betrayal runs deeper than we thought. Marines in our own battalion are turning on each other—loyalists versus turncoats. It's chaos.
And through it all, one thought burns in my mind: Emily. She's still back at the base, and if the URF is launching a full-scale attack, she's in danger.
"I'm going back," I say, grabbing Santiago by the arm. "Emily's in trouble. I need to get her out of there."
He doesn't hesitate. "We're with you."
The others nod, determination in their eyes. We're in this together, and no matter what happens, we'll see it through.
We fight our way through the ambush, bullets flying as the battle rages around us. But my mind is already on the base, on Emily.