We bolted through the rocky terrain as the Covenant Phantoms kept up their assault. Plasma bolts seared the ground, forcing us to dive for cover every few seconds. The Covenant wasn't letting us leave without one hell of a fight.
"Keep moving!" I shouted, signaling for Ruby and the others to spread out. "We need to stay out of their sightlines!"
Yang was already out front, blasting Grunts and Jackals that tried to cut off our escape with her shotgun. Nora and Weiss were covering our left flank, while Pyrrha stayed close behind me, taking down enemies with pinpoint precision from her BR55 battle rifle.
Objective Update: Escape Covenant Pursuit.
We darted between rocks and debris, doing our best to stay ahead of the Phantoms. Their plasma turrets tore through the landscape like it was tissue paper, leaving behind smoking craters. Every time I thought we were gaining ground, another squad of Covenant soldiers would drop in, cutting off our route.
"Bishop!" I yelled into my comm, dodging a plasma bolt that scorched the ground beside me. "We need evac, now!"
Bishop's voice crackled over the comm, laced with urgency. "Hawk, we're sending a pelican to your coordinates, but the skies are hot. You need to disable those Phantoms before we can get close!"
"Of course we do," I muttered under my breath. "Alright, team, new plan. We take down those Phantoms or we're not getting out of here."
Ruby slid up next to me, reloading her rifle. "You got a plan for that?"
"Working on it," I replied, scanning the terrain. My eyes landed on a ridge overlooking the battlefield. If we could reach it, we might be able to use the height advantage to target the Phantoms' weak points. "There," I pointed. "We get to that ridge and take them out from above."
Weiss nodded, her eyes narrowed with determination. "We'll need to be quick. Once they realize what we're doing, they'll focus fire on us."
"Good," Yang grinned, hefting her shotgun. "Let 'em try."
New Objective: Reach the Ridge and Disable Covenant Phantoms.
We moved as one, charging through the chaos toward the ridge. Covenant forces swarmed the area, but we cut through them like a knife. Ruby dashed ahead, taking down a pair of Jackals with her rifle, while Yang mowed through a group of Grunts, her laughter carrying over the gunfire. Pyrrha's precision kept the Elites at bay, and Nora—well, Nora was having the time of her life, sending Grunts flying with her grenades.
The Phantoms overhead continued their assault, raining plasma down on us with deadly accuracy. We ducked and dodged, but there was no stopping—if we paused, we were dead.
"Almost there!" I called out as we neared the ridge. "Keep pushing!"
Just as we reached the base of the ridge, a plasma bolt struck the ground directly in front of us, sending a shockwave through the group. I hit the dirt hard, my ears ringing and my HUD glitching from the impact. When I looked up, I saw a squad of Elites closing in on our position.
"Get to cover!" I shouted, scrambling behind a nearby rock as plasma fire rained down on us.
Ruby slid in next to me, panting. "We can't stay here, they'll pin us down!"
"We won't have to," I muttered, switching my shotgun for the M41 SPNKr rocket launcher I had picked up from our last mission. "Just give me a second."
New Skill Activated: Demolitions Expert.
I took a deep breath, steadying my aim as I locked onto one of the Phantoms. Its sleek, alien design shimmered against the pale sky as it hovered just within range. I fired.
The rocket sailed through the air, its fiery trail slicing through the chaos before slamming into the Phantom's undercarriage. The explosion ripped through the ship's hull, sending it careening into the mountainside in a brilliant display of fire and wreckage.
"That's one down," I muttered, quickly loading another rocket. "Let's finish the job."
Yang popped up from her cover, grinning like a maniac. "Now that's what I'm talking about!"
Before we could celebrate, the second Phantom swung around, its plasma turrets locking onto our position. It opened fire, and I barely managed to dive behind a rock as the plasma bolts struck the ground where I had been standing. The heat from the blast seared the back of my armor, and I could feel my shields struggling to recharge.
"Ruby! Weiss! We need cover fire!" I shouted.
Ruby didn't need to be told twice. She and Weiss immediately opened fire, laying down a barrage of shots to distract the Phantom while I loaded the next rocket. Pyrrha was already in position, picking off Covenant soldiers who were trying to flank us.
"Now!" Ruby called out.
I stood up, aimed at the second Phantom, and fired. The rocket streaked toward the ship, striking it dead-on. The Phantom exploded in a massive fireball, its wreckage crashing into the ground below.
Objective Complete: Disable Covenant Phantoms.
As the smoke cleared, I let out a long breath and turned to the team. "Alright, let's move. Bishop, we're clear. Get that evac in here."
"Copy that, Hawk," Bishop replied. "Pelican inbound. Hang tight."
We regrouped at the base of the ridge, breathing heavily but alive. I glanced around at the team—Yang, grinning despite the cuts and bruises; Ruby, catching her breath but with that ever-present spark in her eyes; Weiss, already checking the status of her rifle; and Pyrrha, always calm, always in control.
"Not bad, Hawk," Ruby said, wiping the sweat from her brow. "Guess we make a pretty good team."
"Yeah," I replied, feeling a small grin tug at the corner of my mouth. "Not bad at all."
The sound of the pelican's engines filled the air, and we watched as it descended toward our position, kicking up a cloud of dust as it touched down. The rear hatch opened, and Bishop waved us aboard.
"Time to get out of here," Weiss muttered, stepping onto the pelican.
I followed, glancing back at the wreckage of the Phantoms and the Covenant forces scattering below. We had won this round, but the war was far from over.
As the pelican lifted off, I found myself thinking about the ancient structure the Covenant had been digging up. Whatever it was, it had the power to change everything. And somehow, I knew we hadn't seen the last of it.