Morning came too fast.
The faint light of dawn filtered through the barracks, casting long shadows across the room. The soft hum of activity outside told me everything I needed to know: the assault was on. I sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes, and reached for my helmet. It was time to move.
Objective Update: Assault the Covenant Forward Base.
Ruby, Jaune, and the others were already up, finishing the last touches on their gear. The usual light-hearted banter was gone, replaced by a focused silence. Today wasn't just another mission—this was the kind of operation that determined whether you lived or died.
Yang was loading shells into her M90 shotgun, her expression more serious than I'd seen before. Weiss stood nearby, calmly inspecting her M392 DMR, while Blake finished securing her M7 SMG. Pyrrha, Nora, Ren, and Jaune were doing the same, prepping for whatever the Covenant had in store for us.
Bishop stepped in, his ODST armor dark and battle-worn, as ready for this fight as any of us. "Alright, listen up," he said, gathering the team with a simple hand gesture. "We've got intel on a Covenant forward base a few clicks west of here. It's a small facility, but heavily fortified. Our mission is to hit them hard and fast—take out key assets, and disrupt their operations before they can mount a counterattack."
New Objective: Neutralize Covenant Forward Base
"We're going in with three teams," Bishop continued, his voice steady. "Team one—Ruby, Jaune, Pyrrha, you're with me. We'll hit the main control center. Team two—Weiss, Blake, Ren, you'll handle the perimeter defenses. Yang, Nora, Hawk—you're team three. Your job is to take out their anti-air systems so our evac has a clean approach."
Nora pumped her fist, clearly ready for action. "You got it, Commander. We'll blow those guns sky-high!"
Yang grinned. "It'll be a blast."
I nodded, tightening my grip on my shotgun. Anti-air systems. Perfect. Something that needed precision and brute force. Looked like I was right where I needed to be.
New Squad Assignment: Yang and Nora.
The plan was simple enough, but we all knew that nothing ever went exactly as planned when the Covenant were involved. Still, I trusted Bishop's instincts—and I was starting to trust my new team.
"Move out," Bishop ordered, and just like that, we were on the move.
The landscape around the outpost was a wasteland, charred from endless battles. Covenant drop ships had scarred the land, their sleek forms barely visible against the horizon. I kept pace with Yang and Nora as we crossed the rocky terrain, every step bringing us closer to enemy territory.
Yang glanced over at me as we approached the ridge overlooking the Covenant base. "So, Hawk, you good with explosives? Because Nora's got enough to make this place disappear if we need it."
Nora, who had been skipping ahead of us, spun around with a huge grin on her face. "Yep! I brought everything."
I smirked under my helmet. "I'm more of a precision guy, but I've never been against a good explosion."
Yang chuckled. "Good to hear. Let's see what we're up against."
We reached the ridge and dropped to our stomachs, peering over the edge. Below us, the Covenant base sprawled out—alien structures humming with energy. Grunts, Elites, and Jackals patrolled the area, but the real threats were the anti-air turrets dotting the base. Massive, armored towers bristling with plasma cannons designed to tear through any aircraft that came too close.
Objective Update: Disable Covenant Anti-Air Systems.
I studied the layout, my mind already running through possible strategies. "We'll need to take out those towers one at a time. If we hit them all at once, we'll get swarmed by Covenant forces before we can finish."
Yang nodded. "Agreed. Nora, think you can set charges on the first two turrets while Hawk and I cover you?"
Nora gave a thumbs-up, clearly delighted at the prospect. "Leave it to me! I'll have those turrets offline before they even know what hit them."
"Alright," I said, switching to my BR55 battle rifle for better range. "Let's get this done."
We made our move, creeping down the ridge and weaving between cover as we approached the first turret. The Covenant forces were on patrol, but their patterns were predictable. As we closed in, Nora slipped ahead, crouching low as she worked her way to the base of the first tower.
"Ready?" Yang asked, glancing over at me.
I nodded, taking aim at a pair of Grunts moving toward the tower. "Go."
The rifle's reticle lit up as I pulled the trigger, dropping one of the Grunts with a clean headshot. Yang was already moving, shotgun raised, as she took out the second one with a blast to the chest. No alarms yet. Good.
Nora moved like a blur, setting charges with practiced efficiency. "First turret's ready to blow," she whispered over the comms. "Moving to the second."
Yang and I followed, keeping an eye on the patrols. The tension in the air was palpable, but I could feel our momentum building. We were doing this.
As Nora finished rigging the second turret, my HUD flashed with an incoming alert—enemy reinforcements.
New Objective: Hold Position and Defend Against Covenant Patrol.
"They're coming," I muttered, switching back to my shotgun.
Yang cocked her shotgun, her grin wide and feral. "Good. Let's give them a warm welcome."
The first wave hit fast. Elites and Jackals swarmed our position, plasma fire lighting up the sky. I ducked behind a low wall, my shotgun barking in response. Yang was in the thick of it, taking down enemies with brutal efficiency. Nora darted between cover, her rifle spitting bullets as she picked off enemies from a distance.
The Covenant were relentless, but we held our ground, fighting with a deadly rhythm that felt...right. I hadn't fought with a team like this in years, and now that I was back in the thick of it, it felt like I was exactly where I needed to be.
"Charges are set!" Nora called out over the comms, her voice full of adrenaline. "Ready to light 'em up?"
I grinned under my helmet. "Do it."
Objective Update: Detonate Charges.
The explosion was deafening. Nora's charges ripped through the first two anti-air turrets, sending debris and Covenant forces flying. The shockwave knocked a few of the closer Elites off their feet, and for a split second, the battlefield went silent.
Then, chaos erupted.
"Nice work!" Yang shouted, reloading her shotgun as the remaining Covenant forces regrouped. "Let's take out the last one before they bring in heavy reinforcements."
"On it," I said, motioning for Nora to take cover. "I'll handle the last turret."
New Objective: Disable the Final Anti-Air Turret.
The Covenant were onto us now, and the last turret was heavily guarded. Grunts, Jackals, and even a pair of Hunters stood between us and the final objective.
But I wasn't backing down.
I moved with purpose, dodging plasma fire as I closed in on the turret. Yang and Nora provided cover, their weapons cutting down enemies as I advanced. The final turret loomed ahead, its cannons whirring ominously as it prepared to fire.
I sprinted the last few meters, skidding to a stop at the base of the tower. My hands worked quickly, setting the last charge.
"Charge is set," I muttered into the comms. "Firing now."
Nora detonated the charge, and the last turret went up in a plume of fire and shrapnel. The anti-air defenses were down.
Mission Complete: Disable Covenant Anti-Air Systems.
Reward: +2000 Experience Points. New Skill Unlocked: Demolitions Expert.
The roar of engines overhead signaled the arrival of our evac. Ruby's voice crackled over the comms. "Nice work, team three! Evac is on its way. Let's get out of here before they send more reinforcements."
I stood up, breathing hard, and glanced over at Yang and Nora. We had done it.
"Guess we can call that mission accomplished," Yang said, holstering her shotgun.
I smirked. "Not bad for a day's work."
As we regrouped and headed for the evac point, I couldn't help but feel something shift. This wasn't just another mission. I was starting to become part of something bigger. And in this war? That was everything.