Date: July 15th, 2551

Location: Vico Island, Tethys sea, Eucia II

Vico island was like most of the islands on Eucia II. It was large with mountains and forests dominating the land on the island. There were several small towns and villages scattered across it but nothing more for if this island was to become the home for a large sprawling settlement, it would spoil the natural beauty and scenery created when this world was terra-formed for Human colonization.

However, now it was a small UNSC outpost for the wounded and for evacuating civilians from the island to the mainland continent. A rush of activity covered the island. Pelicans were flying to and from the island, either empty or carrying wounded and civilians. The UNSC High Command was desperate to evacuate as many wounded and civilians as possible from here to safety.

The reason for all this rushing around and panic: the Covenant. They were the worst enemy Humanity had so far come across. Having made contact with Humanity earlier on this year, they were not friendly and had been waging a war of attrition against the Human race. They had devastated many colonized planets in the Niobe Aino system, killing billions of civilians and military personal. So far they were raging a bloody battle for Eucia II, which was certainly going to fall, which became even more possible when It's sister planet, Eucia, had been glassed by the Covenant, in order to attack Takra, the so called 'New Earth' of the Niobe Aino system and It's most populated planet. The UNSC had fought desperately to stem the Covenant advance but it was just no use. Their superior technology and numbers, as there were seven alien races (known as Grunts, Elites, Jackals, Hunters, Drones, Brutes and Prophets) united against them, proved to be the advantage in this war. All the Human race could do was hope to evacuate as many to Takra and, hopefully, make a stand there, though they highly certain that Takra, even if the UNSC did make a stand there, would be devastated by the fighting, but it was a chance and a risk the UNSC was going to have to take.

Outside one of the tents in one of the many outposts scattered across the island, a woman of about twenty one with black hair, green eyes and dressed in a nurse's uniform was sitting on a hover chair next to a UNSC ODST soldier who had blonde hair with blue eyes and was heavily built and was sitting on a crate. Across the young woman's sleeve was the name 'Debbie'. Across the chest of the ODST soldier's uniform was the name 'Hans'.

"There we go," Debbie said as she injected a morphine serum into Hans' arm just a few inches above a small scorch mark on his arm. He winced slightly when she injected but the pain quickly faded away as the serum began to work against the wound.

"Thanks," Hans replied as he rubbed his arm.

Debbie set the needle down on the arm rest of the seat and a small hole opened below it and the needle descended gently into the hole and the hole closed again. She then leaned forward and placed a hand on the scorch mark on his arm.

"That serum should fix it and make the mark go down a little," she said. "Was it a blast wound did you say?" she asked him.

"Yeah from a plasma rifle," he replied.

Debbie nodded at what he had told her and sat up straight. It was then her eyes rested on a marine sitting in a tree not far away, looking at a tent not far behind him. It was Matthew, a friend of hers. Hans noticed she was looking at something past him and looked over his shoulder to see Matthew sitting in the tree as well.

"What's he doing up there?" he asked.

"I think he's been put up there to search for any approaching Covenant," Debbie answered.

"Then why's he climbing down the tree?"

He was right. Matthew climbed down the tree and ran from the tree towards one of the large tents set up for dead marines and civilians to be stored in cryo-tubes. When he reached the entrance of it, he paused and looked around to make sure no one was watching and then moved the flap and walked inside.

"Wonder what he's doing?" Debbie asked.

Hand nodded in agreement and looked around the rest of the camp. Another pelican had just landed and the medics and fellow soldiers, with several civilians helping, were loading on the wounded marines. A few other marines were sitting on other trees scattered not far from the camp, also searching the sky for any sign of approaching Covenant. There was nothing in the blue skies yet but there had been reports of Covenant forces heading across the Tethys sea towards the continent on the other side, and Vico island was directly in their path so anyone watching the skies had to keep their eyes open and give the warning at the first sight of any approaching Covenant ships.

Hans felt movement on his wounded arm and he looked down to see Debbie wrapping a bandage around it. after a few moments, she tied it tight and leant back to see it.

"Give it a week or so and it should heal completely," she said.

Hans nodded and touched the bandage. A tiny fragment of pain erupted and he winced a little and moved his hand away.

Best not do that again he thought.

"All forces and civilians are to evacuate the island immediately. Covenant forces are approaching! I repeat, Covenant are approaching Vico!" a nearby intercom blared out.

Instantly, there was a rush towards the pelicans. Marines that had been operating radios ran over, most deciding to leave their equipment where it was, civilians that were waiting for pelicans decided not to bother waiting any longer and ran over towards them. Even a few medics were heading towards the ships in a bid to save themselves.

Hans sighed and looked at Debbie. "We better be off," he said.

Debbie nodded in agreement and the two got up and joined the rush over to the pelicans.