The pelican dropped us off just outside the Covenant excavation site, the distant hum of the alien structure still reverberating in my bones. The wreckage of the Phantoms we'd taken down earlier still smoldered in the distance, but whatever was buried in the ground? That was something else entirely.
The mountains surrounded us, jagged and looming, like nature itself was trying to keep the secret hidden. But the Covenant wasn't about to let this one stay buried.
"Alright, team, let's not waste time," I said, pulling my helmet back on and tightening my grip on the BR55 battle rifle. The team gathered around me—Ruby, Weiss, Yang, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren. The ODSTs moved with purpose, every step laced with tension. We all knew the stakes. We all knew that if the Covenant got their hands on whatever that thing was, it wouldn't just mean the fall of Earth.
It'd be the end of everything.
Objective Update: Investigate the Covenant Dig Site.
"Whatever they're looking for down there, it's active now," Weiss muttered, her eyes scanning the ridge. "We need to find out what it is—and how to shut it down."
I nodded. "We'll split into two teams again. Team one—Yang, Nora, and Ruby—you're with me. We're going to cut through the defenses and get as close to the structure as possible. Pyrrha, Weiss, Ren—your team will cover the perimeter and keep Covenant reinforcements off our backs."
We all knew the plan, and we all knew it was a long shot. The closer we got to that thing, the harder the Covenant would fight to stop us. But this was why we were here. If we didn't act now, we might not get another chance.
We moved fast and quiet, sticking to the shadows as we descended into the excavation site. Covenant soldiers patrolled the area, their movements sharp and alert. The massive structure hovered above the ground now, pulsating with a low hum, its alien markings glowing brighter as the minutes ticked by.
"Looks like they've got more of those patrols since the last time we visited," Yang whispered, checking her M90 shotgun. "Think they know we're here?"
"Maybe," I replied, ducking behind a boulder as a pair of Elites walked by. "But even if they don't, they'll be ready for trouble."
Ruby signaled with two fingers, motioning for us to move around the far side of the pit. She was already focused, her silver eyes gleaming with determination. Yang gave her a quick nod before taking point, while Nora brought up the rear, her grin almost predatory.
"This place is crawling with them," I muttered, peeking around the corner as more Covenant soldiers gathered near the base of the structure. "We'll need a distraction."
"You rang?" Nora whispered, already fiddling with her grenades.
I smirked under my helmet. "Try not to blow up everything, Nora."
She gave me a wink. "No promises."
New Objective: Create a Distraction to Draw Covenant Attention.
Nora dashed forward, planting explosives around the base of a nearby plasma turret. She moved with surprising precision, even as the Covenant soldiers remained oblivious to the ticking time bombs scattered at their feet. Once the charges were set, she gave us a thumbs-up from across the way.
"Ready when you are!" she whispered into the comms.
"Do it," I said, and a second later, the night lit up with explosions.
The turret went up in a ball of fire, the shockwave sending Covenant soldiers flying. Ruby and Yang were already on the move, cutting through the chaos as the Covenant scrambled to figure out what was happening. Plasma fire lit up the darkness, but we stayed ahead of it, weaving through cover as we pushed toward the structure.
Nora whooped as she lobbed another grenade, sending more Grunts scattering. "This is way too much fun!"
"I'm not sure we have the same definition of 'fun,'" Weiss muttered over the comms, her voice strained as she and her team fended off Covenant reinforcements near the perimeter. "But keep it up. We're holding them off for now."
Objective Update: Reach the Alien Structure.
We made it to the base of the structure without taking any serious hits. The thing loomed over us, even bigger up close. Alien symbols etched across its surface pulsed with energy, and the low hum had turned into a steady vibration that rattled in my bones.
"What the hell is this thing?" Yang muttered, staring up at the structure.
"I don't know," I replied, scanning for any weak points or access panels. "But it's active, and it's powering up fast. We need to shut it down."
Before I could say more, a loud thrum echoed from the structure, and a pulse of energy shot out, knocking all of us back. My shields flared, struggling to compensate for the impact, and my HUD glitched for a second before stabilizing.
"What was that?!" Ruby yelled, picking herself up from the ground.
"It's... waking up," I muttered, my voice tense. "We're running out of time."
New Mission Objective: Disable the Alien Structure.
I glanced around, trying to find anything that could help us shut the structure down. Covenant soldiers were already regrouping, their focus now split between us and whatever was happening with the structure. We needed to act fast, or we wouldn't get a second chance.
"Ruby, Nora—cover me. Yang, stay sharp," I ordered, moving toward what looked like an access panel on the side of the structure. The alien console hummed with energy, and as I approached, the markings on the structure began to shift and change, as if reacting to my presence.
"This better work," I muttered, reaching for the panel.
Skill Check: Tactical Instincts
My hand hovered over the panel as alien symbols flickered across its surface. Whatever this structure was, it wasn't something the UNSC—or anyone else—had seen before. But I'd spent enough time around tech to know my way around a control panel.
The console beeped as I worked through the controls, the symbols rearranging themselves in response to my inputs. The structure let out another low hum, and I felt the energy within it begin to fluctuate. We were close.
"Keep them off me!" I shouted as the console beeped again.
Ruby and Nora were already laying down cover fire, holding off the Covenant forces that were starting to close in on our position. Yang stood beside me, shotgun raised, her eyes locked on the enemies approaching from the far side of the pit.
"Hurry up, Hawk!" she called out, blasting an Elite that got too close.
"I'm working on it!" I growled, my fingers flying across the console.
Finally, with a satisfying beep, the panel went dark. The hum of the structure began to die down, the glowing symbols flickering out one by one.
"We did it!" Ruby shouted, her voice filled with relief.
But before we could celebrate, the ground beneath us shook violently. The structure let out a deafening roar as it began to collapse in on itself, the alien metal warping and twisting under the strain.
"Move! Get out of there!" I yelled, grabbing Ruby and pulling her toward the exit.
We ran, the ground shaking beneath our feet as the structure crumbled behind us. Covenant soldiers scattered, caught off guard by the sudden collapse. Explosions rocked the excavation site as the entire facility began to cave in.
New Objective: Escape the Collapsing Dig Site.
We sprinted toward the perimeter, dodging falling debris and plasma fire as we went. Weiss, Pyrrha, and Ren were already waiting for us at the edge of the site, covering our retreat as the structure continued to collapse behind us.
"Go, go, go!" Pyrrha shouted, waving us forward.
We barely made it out before the ground gave way entirely, the massive structure sinking into the earth in a cloud of dust and debris. The sound of the collapse echoed across the mountains, and for a moment, everything was silent.
We stood there, catching our breath, watching as the Covenant forces pulled back, retreating in the face of their catastrophic failure. Whatever they had been digging for, it was gone now—buried deep beneath the earth where it belonged.
"We did it," Ruby said, her voice barely more than a whisper.
"Yeah," I muttered, staring at the crater where the structure had once stood. "But I've got a feeling this isn't the last we'll see of it."