++July 24th, 0740 Hours++

I manage to get some sleep on the way to the AO, and my chronometer shows the sun has just crested the horizon when the Pelican rattles with turbulence, waking me up. We are headed back towards the mountains of Reach's coastline, where the relay is located high on one of the taller peaks. The Visegrád Relay controls most of the UNSC's communications network for the planet's Western hemisphere, most importantly of which include the early warning satellites designed to detect slipspace ruptures produced by the Covenant's cruisers. Essentially without the relay online, the entire UNSC and by extension the planet is blind to invasion. Unless someone looks out a window.

"James." Naomi cuts across the comms, something I'm getting increasingly used to. I check, just to be sure, and confirm the channel is private between us.

"Yes?"

"I submitted a request to have your file unblacked." Her voice has a lightness to it I can't quite place at first… She's curious, examining me like a puzzle.

"I see." I pause. I wonder if I should tell her more or if that would only encourage her. "How long will that take?"

She shrugs. "I can't say."

"This isn't my first time working with ONI." I confess, and memories of black uniforms and late night missions come flooding back. Out of all of Kilo-Five I am more intimately familiar with the Spartan program than any.

"Were you a candidate?" Her voice is soft, and caring. I wonder how the Spartan's feel about failed candidates. Is there a judgment hidden there? That someone wasn't strong enough to become a Spartan, that they weren't good enough?

"No. I wasn't." I look at the silver visor of her helmet and imagine the pale-skinned girl underneath it. I am about to elaborate, to confess the realities of my previous post, when the pilot comes over the comms.

"ETA one mike. Get set for drop."

"Alright, you heard him ladies and gentleman." Chance stands up from his seat and moves to the back of the Pelican. He yanks the lever down and the door to the dropship slowly opens. "Grab extra ammo. We're expecting a fight."

I nod and grab two spare M7 mags from the Pelican's rack and stuff them into my boot. I see Scratch grab a banderdoil loaded with shotgun shells and throw it over his shoulder. The Pelican comes to a hover about five feet above the ground. The terrain of the mountains is rough, and there are few landing places big enough for a Pelican to fully set down. We'll have to jump. Naomi is first, and lands with a heavy thud, though the height barely seems to have affected her. Scratch and Viking follow, taking the impact with considerably less grace. I'm next, and hit the ground with a grunt.

"Higher than it looks." Viking says.

"Yeah…" I agree, raising my gun to my shoulder and checking the area. Chance and Wink follow and give the pilot the all clear.

"Good hunting, Sword-Two out." The Pelican's engines increase in power, the backwash buffeting against us. Then he's off. It's a little past morning and the orange sun of Reach is painting the mountainside gold. Birds are chirping in the air and a moa stares at us from a short distance away, it's small head and long neck resembling that of an ostrich back on earth.

"Smoke." Viking says, pointing with his rifle towards a small column of black smoke rising from a shed about a hundred yards forward.

"When did Noble come through here?" Scratch asks.

"Ten minutes ago." Chance replies and then gets on the long range comms. "Noble Team this is Kilo-Five, come in." We wait. "Noble Team this is Kilo-Five, is anybody reading us?"

"Static." Wink adds.

Naomi walks forwards, staring at the datapad attached to her wrist. "The entire region appears to be covered by a sophisticated jamming network. I cannot break through. It appears the relay itself is the source."

"It isn't crazy that the innies would block comms if they're attacking the relay." Wink suggests.

Chance nods. "Alright - combat formation. Stay frosty. Viking, take us to that smoke."

"Roger that." He says.

We move down the hillside, skipping over rocks and small outcroppings as we do so. As we grow closer to the compound the source of the smoke becomes clear - a burnt out Warthog, twisted and gnarled by gunfire. It sits abandoned, with a small fire still burning off oil in it's engine bay.

"Area clear." Viking reports as we push into a small half circle of storage sheds.

"Well they got hit hard." I say, examining the plasma scoring on the side of the Warthog. The metal itself is melted and potmarked from the heat of the plasma. There are dozens of impacts across the entire body of the vehicle.

"Found something." Scratch says, and I watch him pick up some sort of metallic device from the ground.

Naomi walks over and takes the item, looking it over. "Covenant tech." She confirms. "Some kind of locator beacon."

"Is it going to locate where the missing troopers are?" Scratch jokes.

"Unlikely." Naomi replies.

"There's a lot of blood here…" Viking says. "Something tells me they didn't make it."

"No bodies though." I point out. "Maybe just wounded and they moved the body to a safe location to treat?"

Wink raises her rifle, bringing the scope to her visor. "Sergeant, there's a compound further down the hillside. Civilian - looks like a house, probably a farmer's. They might have our missing troopers, or at the very least saw Noble Team come through the area."

Chance nods and brings his rifle up, moving away from the Warthog. "Agreed. Nothing more we can do here. Kilo-Five, move out."

Viking moves past me, heading towards the compound and I fall in behind him. I keep my gun raised and pressed to my shoulder as the team moves further down the mountainside. A flock of moa run past us heading further up into the mountains.

"Damn birds are all over my sensors." Wink complains.

I move into position alongside Chance at the head of the formation as we close in on the compound's entrance. An old work truck is parked in front of the garage. Farming equipment is scattered about the interior as we move through into the inner part of the compound itself. I recall reading that most of Reaches' farmsteads are sent up like this, a circular structure with the house, garage, and storage built around a central courtyard from which all the buildings are accessed. It harks back to a time when Reach was untamed and the farmers were also pioneers who had to worry about the guta and other hostile indigionous creatures. Having a naturally defensible home was a serious advantage. Those days are long since passed, but now it's more of a cultural aesthetic.

"Movement inside the house, dead ahead." Scratch radios.

"Could be innie's inside." Wink remarks.

I take up an overwatch position inside the garage, aiming my M7 at the front door of the home. "Should we breach?" I ask.

"We don't have time for anything else - get set to breach. We treat them as innie's until we confirm otherwise."

Viking and Scratch break cover while the rest of the team overwatch their advance. They take position on either side of the door and the rest of the team follows. I take position right behind Viking on the right side of the door and place my hand on his shoulder.

"Set." Chance says from behind me and I feel his hand on my shoulder. "Breach."

I watch Scratch pivot and position himself in front of the door, then place a powerful kick right on the lock. The wood cracks, buckles, and the doors swing open. Viking ducks forwards into the building, weapon at the ready. I'm right behind him, covering the angles he cannot.

"DOWN, DOWN!" Viking bellows as he pushes into the home. "Let me see those hands!"

I see the suspects; two men, one woman, and a child. A family most likely. They're scared, cowering on the living room floor and holding each other. Wink and Viking have them down on the ground and held at gunpoint in short order while myself and Chance move to the second floor. The farmstead is ascetic, with most of the furniture simple and utilitarian. Where the families of Reach choose to display their culture is in the many rugs and cloth tapestries around the home.

"Clear." Chance says, and I take one last scan of the second floor before following him back down to the first.

"Just a bunch of farmers…" Scratch says, lowering his rifle.

"Want me to see what they know?" Viking asks.

"Yeah, ask if they saw Noble Team." Chance says and we gather around at a respectable distance. I notice Naomi is standing by the door, looking down at her wrist.

Viking steps forwards, lowering his rifle and removing his helmet. He gives the father a smile and extends his hand. The man seems weary at first but takes his hand and stands. "Láttál már senkit sétálni itt?" Viking asks.

"Férfiak, mint te?" The man responds, and Viking nods. "Igen. Láttam őket menni keletre a műholdas felé."

"He says Noble team came through here and went East towards the relay." Viking looks at chance.

"How long ago?"

"Ez mikor volt?"

"Tiz perc." The man replies, looking between Chance and Viking. He raises a hand and points out his window towards the relay.

"Ten minutes ago." Viking gives the man a handshake. I notice what I presume is the wife, and the daughter is calming down, but she's still holding the child to her chest as though we might take it from her. I frown. Reach has been under attack for a long time, and not just from the insurgency. The scars run deep. Viking and the husband have been talking and he finally nods, concluding the conversation. The man turns back to his family and reassures them that everything is going to be fine, the body language the same no matter the words coming from his mouth.

"He says the farm was attacked last night, and something… or as he says 'a monster' killed his son." Viking frowns with unhidden sympathy.

"Innies?" Wink asks.

Viking shrugs. "I don't think so. I got the impression it was something… unnatural."

"Great." Wink replies and I can almost hear her eyes rolling. "Local supersticion is very actionable intelligence."

"It isn't our mission so it doesn't matter." Chance cuts in. "Noble headed East, and so that's where we go. Let's get on task."

Viking nods and pulls his helmet back on. "Maradj biztonságban!" He says to the family before he moves out the front door. I jog after him and soon we're all standing in the circular courtyard. Off to the East at about three hundred yards is the outline of another compound, the first section of the Visegrád Relay. Chance motions for us to fall in and I do so, taking position next to Naomi who I realize has been suspiciously quiet this entire time.

"Naomi?" I ask.

"Yes, James?"

"You've been quiet." I point out.

"I have been getting strange readings - I am not sure if my armor-" She trails off and stops in her tracks. A moment later I hear it. The squad stops dead as we hear the sound of distant gunfire coming from Noble's last reported position. There is the unique snap and crackle of plasma weapon's discharge among the fighting. Then an explosion, likely from a fuel tank or vehicle echoes across the mountainside.

"Double time it, Kilo-Five!" Chance calls.

"Sergeant," Naomi cuts in. "We need to fall back to the farm."

"What? Why?" He asks.

"Multiple heat signatures are inbound to this position, closing fast."

Just as Naomi reports it I turn to see a Covenant banshee blitz towards us from the horizon line, swooping down from above the farmstead. "Contact!" I shout, as plasma rains down our exposed position. I watch Viking and Chance return fire along with Naomi and myself, but the banshee's attacks are accurate and several shots pepper Wink. She screams, one round of plasma rounds impacting her leg and sending her to the ground.

"Wink is hit!" Viking calls out, wasting no time in rushing to her position and grabbing the back of her chest rig.

"Get her inside! Kilo-Five, cover fire! Back to the compound!" Chance runs over to help Viking and the two of them start to drag Wink back into the farmhouse. She's holding her leg with one hand and her rifle with the other. I focus on trying to get accurate shots onto the banshee but the low caliber rounds are having little effect, merely bouncing off the alien hull.

"No good!" I shout. "We need something heavier!"

"Fall back!" Chance orders and I see him firing at the garage. A squad of Covenant are there, grunts and jackals with an elite in bright white armor leading them. They see me immediately and start firing. Shots impact the ground around me, and I dive for cover behind some crates and farm equipment.

"Cover fire!" Scratch shouts from the house, and I see him smash a window then unleash several blasts from his shotgun. Chance's M7 joins him from another window and I see Naomi open fire from the second story.

"Moving!" I reply, taking the moment to dash for the front door. I feel a round impact on my side but the damage is absorbed by the armor. I slide through the door and crawl to a position of relative safety behind a chest of drawers before returning fire at the enemy position from inside the home. I manage to catch one of the grunts out in the open and I hose him down, blue blood splattering against the concrete.

The banshee howls as it comes in for another pass, plasma rounds slamming into the side of the house and bursting through the windows. One of the civilians, the husband whom Viking had been talking with earlier, is caught by the attack and his body is covered in plasma burns before any of us can react. He falls to the floor in a crumpled pile and I watch the wife rush to his side, desperately trying to drag him away from the front of the house.

"Hows Wink?" I ask over the comms as another grunt tries to advance on the home, only to be cut down by the combined fire of myself and Scratch.

"I'm fine, damnit!" Wink replies.

I hear Chance snap the seal on a biofoam container, and glance over to see him patching up Wink's leg.

"Stop worrying and get off me, it's fine!" She shouts, pushing Chance off and struggling to her feet. She has a limp, but it isn't bad. "We have a firefight to win. I'm heading to the second floor to get sights."

Chance rushes to the front door and slams up against a wall, joining myself and Scratch as we pour fire into the enemy position.

"We can't move until that damn banshee is dealt with!" Viking says. I see that he's trying to tend to the civilian, but even I know he's gone.

"Taking care of it." Naomi radios.

I look around the battle and see Naomi climbing up one of the grain silos in the main compound. She scales it like a monkey, hand over hand yanking her immense weight upwards effortlessly. The Banshee begins another dive right as she reaches the top and I watch the Spartan leap from the silo and smash into the side of the aircraft. She holds on with one hand while the other holds her rifle, unloading shot after shot into the side of the pilot from point blank. The banshee immediately starts to smoke, and pieces of it sloth off, peppering the ground. It jolts, then dives forwards. I see Naomi reach into the cockpit and direct the crashing torpedo towards the enemy position and then bail into a roll a heartbeat before impact. The banshee's corpse along with the body of its pilot collide with the advancing covenant squad. Several grunts and jackals are crushed beneath it, before the wreck finally slams into the elite leader, pinning him beneath the wreckage.

"We need to help her!" I say and rush from my position. I head out the front door. Chance and Scratch follow me. A jackal goes down under a rain of fire, then two more grunts join him in short order. I watch Naomi dash over to the pinned elite and finish him off with a burst of 7.62 to the skull. With that the field goes quiet, and the battle is over.

"Clear." Wink says from her vantage point.

"Not quite." Naomi says. "Noble must be engaged with Covenant forces as well. We need to move to their position."

Chance doesn't waste any time in signaling for the team to fall in. "Let's double time our shit over there, Kilo-Five, this fight ain't over!"

With that said we all start jogging, heading over the bridge and going East towards the next compound where we previously heard gunfire. My heart is racing, and it feels good. Good to be back in the fight, and good to be fighting the Covenant again. I realize how much I've missed it, and I wonder what kind of person that makes me considering there is a dead civilian only a hundred yards behind me.

"Heat signature closing in." Naomi chimes in as we're about half way to our destination. "Profiles match that of a Covenant dropship."

"Heading?" Chance asks.

"The farmstead." She answers.

"Should we turn back? Evac the civs?" Viking's question is one I already know the answer to, and I frown.

After a pause Chance voices it. "Stay on task."

We close in on our destination, and it's another garage. I look over my shoulder and see the Covenant dropship hovering over the remains of our previous engagement, disgorging another fireteam of Covenant troopers. Plasma guns crack in the distance.

"Jesus…" Scratch says and I turn away from the farmstead to investigate what he's found.

Two troopers are pinned to the wall with farming equipment, strung up by chains and straps. They've been dead for a while by the looks of it.

"Must be the troopers they sent here before Noble… What the hell happened to them?" Even Wink seems disgusted, or maybe just surprised.

"Look here…" Scratch says, pointing to a wound on the man's neck. "They tortured them." There is a pause where none of us know what to say.

Viking joins Scratch beside the corpse, collecting their dog tags. "What could the Covenant want to know that a bunch of random troopers could tell them?"

"They wanted to know if their invasion had been made." Naomi says with supreme confidence. "If the UNSC sent them here with backup or not…"

I realize that even with all the information we've been collecting about the insurgency it doesn't tell us… "How long have the Covenant been here?" I ask. "I mean - they could have been here for months and we wouldn't have known. That explains why they tortured the troopers. We're breaking their cover…"

There is a pause as everyone stares at the two corpses. I try not to imagine what they felt in their last moments.

"You are likely correct, Ginger." Naomi adds. "If that is true, it means we must reactivate the relay no matter the cost and warn the UNSC."

Just as she finishes the statement gunfire echoes across the mountainside again, farther East. The squad is jolted from their stupor and moves through the garage, pushing out into another courtyard which is filled with Covenant bodies.

"Must be Noble's handiwork." Viking comments.

I look out across a wide valley, with a river running through its center and see far off the base of the relay tower. It's a military installation, and it looks like it. Grey walls, tall and imposing, secure… and ringing with the sound of combat.

"Noble Team this is Kilo-Five, come in." Chance says over the radio then curses. "Still nothing but static. We need to get across this valley."

"That's a lot of open ground…" Scratch says. "If another banshee-"

Chance cuts him off "If another Banshee engages us we'll deal with it."

Scratch nods. "Yes, Sir."

We run as fast as we're comfortable going without wearing ourselves out completely. I notice Naomi gingerly keeping pace at our flank. I can't help but feel like we're holding her back. We are. I know it's true, the Spartan IIs are super soldiers in every sense of the word… As close to perfect as you can get. I just wish it weren't so damn obvious.

"Look at this place… Noble team wrecked their shit." Viking says as we progress through another scattering of Covenant bodies, riddles with bullets, plasma bruns and shrapnel.

"Looks like a damn force of nature came through here." I say.

"You said these Spartans weren't like you, Naomi?" Viking asks.

"Correct. They are from a separate program. Their armor is-" Naomi's wrist chimes an alert and she looks down. "Multiple dropships closing in on our location. We have to move faster."

"My legs are only so long!" Scratch replies.

"Lock that shit down, Scratch," Chance chastises him. "And MOVE up that hill unless you want to die on it!"

We're sprinting now, and I can feel my body starting to go into overdrive. My aim is going to be off when we enter the combat zone and I make a mental note to compensate for it. Entering a combat situation out of breath is never ideal but sometimes it's your only option. I risk a glance backwards and see three covenant dropships heading towards us at a brisk speed. My heart drops. If we don't get into the relay now…

"I see Noble team!" Scratch calls from the top of the hill where the entrance to the relay's perimeter is just through an open gate.

"Noble - Noble Team this is Kilo-five, respond! We're closing in on your position with covenant dropships on our flank!" Chance is panting, but gets the radio call out in short order. There is no response.

I crest the ridge just in time to see one of the Spartans from Noble Team falling back under covenant fire to behind a blast door, which is slowly closing. "Shit!" I curse and start rushing after Scratch and Viking who are already pushing into the perimiter's courtyard to engage the covenant there and hopefully get Noble's attention. Scratch is the first to enter combat, running up behind an elite and pushing the barrel of his shotgun into the alien's spine before pulling the trigger and blowing a fist-sized hole clean through. Viking guns down several grunts from behind with tight, controlled bursts from his M7 and I shoot the legs out from under a shield-bearing jackal which sends him to the ground where I finish him off with a kick to the skull.

But our efforts prove pointless as I watch the blast door close with a metal thud. We're sealed outside of the relay with the Covenant dropships quickly closing in on our position. I rush over to the console for the blast door and scowl at what I find.

"Console is a complete wreck!" I radio in.

"Naomi?" Chance asks.

I feel the Spartan's hand on my shoulder and she pushes me out of the way with all the effort one might move a chair on wheels. "I need time." She says.

Chance doesn't hesitate. "You'll get it. Kilo-Five, we're holding here. Load up and get set for a good time."

I look around, assessing the situation. The courtyard is filled with cargo containers and a few trucks, serving as a collection and drop-off point for the relay by the looks of it. To the right of the blast door is a service bay and offload point. A few trucks are parked inside, and there is plenty of hard cover, but staying there essentially forfeits control of the courtyard to the covenant. There aren't a lot of other options.

"Keep it spread out and fall back into the cargo bay if you need to. Check your ammo." Chance issues orders, hoisting Wink up into the back of one of the trucks to give her at least some height advantage. I watch as she props the heavy rifle up on the side of its bed for a stable firing platform. Viking takes position at the entrance to the garage, behind a concrete outcropping. I push forwards along with Scratch and take a forward position behind a low wall just behind the main gate where the Covenant are going to drop on us. As I take position I pop a fresh mag into my M7 and take a deep breath, trying to slow my breathing. I see Naomi standing by the door, hunched over the console and furiously typing. She can do it. Then it begins.

The dropships rain fire down on our position with impact plasma launchers and onboard plasma turrets. The wall in front of me gets peppered immediately, chunks of plaster and concrete are sent flying into the air. One of the heavy bolts from the dropship's main gun slams into the truck in front of Wink's position, blowing a chunk off the cabin's main structure. Wink's rifle answers with a thunderous clap, going straight through the chest of one of the gunners manning a plasma turret. It buys me enough breathing room to peak over the wall and return fire. The Covenant are already swarming through the gate, grunts sent forward like cannon fodder. I spray into the horde, dropping two, then three in a heartbeat, their strange aliens screams filling the air. Scratch's shotgun roars next to me in sequential blasts, mulching whatever grunts are stupid enough to get too close.

For a moment I think I was worried for nothing, and then the main Covenant force joins the battle. Elites and jackals with energy shields funnel through the gate, spraying plasma and carbine shots in every direction. I'm forced behind cover and I see a carbine round nick the side of Scratch's helmet.

"Fuck!" He shouts, ducking down behind the low wall and loading more shells into his shotgun.

"I've got him!" Wink replies, and her rifle cracks once more. I see the round streak out and bury in the exposed neck of the elite who had fired at Scratch. The alien screams and falls to the ground, clutching his neck and abandoning his weapon.

"Much obliged!" Scratch responds, pumping the action on his shotgun.

Just then the air fills with a familiar scream and I look up to see two banshee's closing in on our position. "Fast movers incoming!" I radio and Wink turns her rifle to the sky. Three shots ring out in quick succession, one after the other burrowing into the front of the banshee's hull. The final round punches through into the main cockpit and the banshee careens off course, colliding into the side of a cliff. There's still one up and plasma shots start raining down on my position.

"Ginger, Scratch, fall back to the trucks!" Chance calls, laying down suppressing fire with Viking.

I don't waste time, tapping Scratch on the shoulder. He stands, firing shot after shot to cover my retreat. The moment I hit the trucks I turn around, blue plasma soaring overhead, and lay down fire to cover him. He slams the truck next to me and we both duck into cover.

"Safe!" He laughs, feeding his shotgun more ammo.

"For now." I say, slapping another mag into my M7.

"Incoming, high!" Wink shouts.

I look up and see the banshee swoop in for another attack, this time disgorging a green ball of explosive plasma directly at Naomi's position. Before I can say anything though, she's already turned around as though she has eyes in the back of her head. She dives sideways just as the bolt impacts her previous position. The explosive blast sends her skidding on the concrete, but she's alive.

"The console is no longer an option." She states, her voice showing no sign of stress or anxiety. "Fall back to the cargo bay, I will cover."

"But…" I state, dropping another grunt and sending several shots into the shields of an advancing elite. "You can't hold off the entire Covenant army!"

"Do as she says, trooper!" Chance chides.

I frown, but know he's right. It's not my job to question her. "Wink, I've got you covered!" I shout, dipping back out of cover and firing more rounds down range. I see another drop ship show up just on the other side of the perimeter wall, and more grunts and jackals start flooding through the gateway.

"How many are there?!" Scratch says with frustration in his voice. "I'm running low on ammo!"

Scratch drops another elite with several shots to the chest and head. Wink vaults from the truck bed with rifle in hand, and I see her hit the ground with a wince from the wound on her leg. Despite that she runs for the safety of the cargo bay as green and blue plasma splash the area around her feet.

"You two next!" Viking shouts, dropping cover to fire at the oncoming Covenant force. Chance is beside him doing the same.

I slap Scratch's shoulder and he breaks cover, dashing for the cargo bay while I add my fire in support of his escape. Just as I'm about to break cover myself I see Naomi sprint past at speed, slamming her entire weight into an advancing elite. The alien crumples like a rag doll under her weight, falling to the ground where she empties several rounds into its skull. The grunts scream, fleeing her very presence as she starts to unload magazine after magazine into their attack.

"Go." She says, her voice as steady and relentless as her assault.

I sprint across the gap, reaching the cargo bay in no time at all. I join the squad at the entrance and focus on dropping whatever isn't swept away by Naomi's rifle.

"Two mags!" Viking shouts.

I remove one of the spare mags from my boot. "Here!" I shout and toss it in his direction. He catches the mag and stuffs it into his chest rig before pouring more fire into the Covenant. Another jackal hits the ground, clutching multiple wounds. He's quickly finished by a well aimed shot from Naomi whose drawing the full focus of the Covenant now. Shot after shot pelt against her armor, her shields absorbing the brunt of the damage. She grabs hold on an elite, breaking its leg with one well placed kick and disarming it just as smoothly. She props her rifle under the alien's arm and uses the screaming creature as a shield, slowly withdrawing to our position. Just as she reaches us she drops the already dead elite and fires two shots into the back of its head.

"We're running out of room." Scratch states, his voice filled with the calm that comes from accepting fate.

"Shut up and shoot!" Viking replies.

Minutes pass as we run through magazine after magazine, each of us reporting critically low ammo. It looks like this might be it when the radio crackles to life. The whole squad seems momentarily shocked, and there is a noticeable pause in the firefight before we all snap out of it and resume the fight.

"Kilo-Five, this is Colonel Holland, come in."

"Colonel Holland, this is Kilo-Five!" Chance replies.

"Kilo-Five the Visegrád Relay has been reactivated by Noble Team. The Winter Contingency is in effect. I repeat, the Winter Contingency is in effect. Covenant forces have attacked reach, do you copy?"

"Have they!?" Scratch shouts out mockingly over the squad's comms before pumping another shot into an advancing grunt, tearing its chest open in a gruesome display of killing efficiency.

"Copy, Colonel. Kilo-Five is currently engaged with multiple Covenant drop ships at the relay's Eastern gate. I repeat, multiple Covenant dropships on our position. Request Noble team be redirected to this entrance to open the door and provide support, how copy, cover?"

There is a pause, and for a moment I fear that the aliens have somehow managed to get the jammers back online.

"Positive copy, Kilo-Five but negative on the request. Noble team has already been reassigned and is currently exfil. We're rerouting nearby Falcon gunships to come render support and evac you from the hot zone, ETA ten mikes, how copy?"

"Ten mikes, copy. We'll be here. Kilo-Five out." Chance looks at the squad. "Mag count!"

"Two." Wink says.

"Last mag." Viking replies, just as he pops in a fresh one after dropping another elite some ten yards away.

"Two." I say.

"Maybe… ten shells left? Give or take a few in pockets."

"Here." Chance says, passing out another M7 mag to me and Viking.

As I place the mag inside my rig I see Naomi climbing up into the cab of one of the trucks. "Naomi? What are you doing?" I ask.

"Getting us ten minutes." She replies, and the truck roars into life. "Get away from the door."

The squad shifts position right as Naomi releases the clutch. The heavy cargo truck lurches forwards, wheels spinning, looking for traction. They find it, and Naomi guides the truck immediately right, directly into the face of an oncoming elite. The alien lets out a garbled yelping sound as it's slammed by nine tons of heavy steel. She doesn't let off the gas, and several grunts are caught up in the truck's wheels.

"Yeah!" Viking cheers, stepping out of cover to drop those Covenant smart enough to dive out of the way. I join him.

I see the elites shouting, turning their lesser alien brethren's attention over to the rampaging vehicle. Fire starts pouring in from every angle, more than the squad can suppress. Flames belch from the front of the truck as its engine is torn apart by the unrelenting assault and it crashes into the opposite perimeter wall. For a moment my heart sinks but then Naomi bursts from the wreckage with rifle in hand, flying through the air and planting a crushing kick to a nearby jackal. She doesn't break stride, dancing through the battlefield like an avatar of death, pumping shot after shot into any Covenant in her sight. Her rifle quickly runs dry, but that doesn't stop her. She picks up one of the alien carbines and gets right back to work.

"She's a damn machine." Scratch says.

We provide what support we can from our positions, but it's clear the Covenant are no match for Naomi. She's tearing through them like tissue paper. But even so time is the enemy to us all. Her shields start to falter, glowing a little less brighter than they once had and more and more the enemy are turning their attention to the single Spartan, all but ignoring us completely. As good as she is, she's still human. Time passes in a blur and before long I hear Viking over the comms.

"I'm out!" Viking shouts.

I check my M7 and the digital readout shows a disheartening 15 rounds. Then the sky fills with the sound of blades - helicopters. Three Falcon gunships scream around the corner of the mountain, their guns roaring to life the moment they're in view. 20mm shells impact the enemy with devastating effect, ripping through shields and turning alien flesh to mulch. The Covenant dropships try to return fire, but they're slow, and hardly suitable to engage other air targets. Within moments they're peeling off, retreating to the open sky, leaving their comrades to die an inglorious death, and die they do. In mere moments the tide is turned, and Naomi seems to redouble her efforts, seeking out whatever Covenant forces survive and silencing them.

As soon as it began, the fight was over, and the courtyard was silent except for the engines of the Falcons hovering above.

"Kilo-Five, this is Cowboy Two-Six, how copy?"

"We copy, Cowboy Two-Six, you really saved our ass." Chance replies.

"Hah. Out of the frying pan… Covenant on Reach, who'd have thought? I've got orders to bring you to Firebase Golf in the Ütközet region. Hop aboard and we'll get you out of here."

I watch as two of the Falcons descend and land inside the courtyard, then see Naomi crouched over the body of an elite. I walk over and look at the dead alien, whose four lipped face is contorted in pain.

"Good work." I say.

"Zealot class." She comments, pointing at the Elite's white armor.

"What's that mean?" I ask.

"I'm not sure…" She admits, grabbing her rifle from beside the dead alien. "Come on, James. Let's go home."

When we arrived at Firebase Golf the alert had already gone out to the entirety of the UNSC. Sword base was reportedly under attack, along with a dozen smaller installations. Nothing major though, and early estimations had the Covenant forces vastly outnumbered and outgunned. Kilo-Five, myself included, were set up in one of the barracks, and given some time for a little R&R before receiving new orders.

Viking sat in front of a TV with Wink, and both have their eyes glued to a UNSC new station which promises 'up to the minute' coverage. So far the news is mostly positive. Casualties have occurred, obviously, but UNSC forces are achieving victory in key positions. New Alexandria's defenses are holding solid, and the Covenant have only made a token effort to take the surrounding areas.

"This is nothing like Harvest." Viking says, leaning forward in his chair.

"Who knows, maybe they really were hurt as bad as the brass thought? Maybe this is all they've got left?" Wink shrugs, and takes a drink of water from her canteen.

"Maybe they just got scared from how much ass we kicked?" Scratch says from his position on one of the cots. He laughs, stuffing a moa wing into his mouth.

"Ugh - where'd you get those things?" I ask. "They stink."

"Vending machine out front. You want one? They're not that bad."

"Keep your disgusting snacks to yourself." Viking snorts.

"Suit yourself." He says and shrugs.

"I hate to say it, but it's good to be fighting the Covey again. All this damn insurgency bullshit…" Viking grumbles to himself.

"You never were one to finish the fight." Wink retorts.

Viking shifts his position, giving her a hostile look. "What the hells that supposed to mean."

"Means what I said." Wink replies.

Scratch chuckles.

"You're soft on the insurgents." She adds.

"Maybe I just don't hate other human beings as much as you."

She snorts. "You're damn right I hate them."

"Yeah? And what the hell did they ever do to you, hu? A bunch of poor damn farmers just trying to fight for some fucking autonomy. Is that so bad?" Viking looks at her incredulously. I am quietly glad no officers are here to hear him say that.

"They killed my brother." Wink states flatley, her expression icy. "And my father."

Viking deflates. "Oh." He pauses. "Sorry."

"They were catching a ride home on a starship, and the insurgents bombed it. This was the day after Harvest had begun. I was about to be shipped off and for all I knew that was the last chance I was going to get to see them both. They couldn't put their petty political bullshit aside for one day when humanity was faced with literal aliens attacking from space." Wink spoke as if she was reading from a cue card, or recalling something that had happened to another person.

"Yeah…" Viking says, rubbing the back of his head. "I didn't-"

"I know you didn't." Wink says, and offers him a weak smile. "I'll never forgive them for what they did, and I'll never forgive the fact that even now we're still dealing with it. When the Covenant are dead and gone it'll resume just like it did before."

"You think so?" I ask.

"I know so." She replies.

The door to the barracks slides open and Chance steps through alongside Naomi. "Alright, Kilo-Five," He pauses, observing everyone's expression and raising a brow. "Did I interrupt something?"

"Nothing, Sir." Wink says. Viking gives a weak cough and adjusts his gear.

"Right." Chance says and walks into the room. He tosses his helmet onto one of the cots. "Just got out of briefing with Major Horn and Colonel Holland. They're sending multiple recon teams out into the field tonight to locate possible Covenant strongpoints. Once they tag 'em, we're heading in at first light to mop them up."

"Are we going to be with the main assault?" Scratch asks.

"Can't say. Won't know till we know." Chance replies, and plops himself down on the cot, kicking his feet up. "Until then get some rest, take a shower… Especially you, Viking."

Wink chuckles, turning back to the TV.

"Ginger, we need to go to the armory and have your weapon inspected." Naomi states and I look at her with unhidden surprise.

"What?" I ask.

"Your weapon." She repeats.

I look at Chance who simply shrugs and gives me a 'No idea' kind of expression.

"Yes, ma'am." I respond, grabbing my M7 and standing up to join her. Naomi is still in her armor, helmet on, whereas the rest of Kilo-Five has stripped down to their fatigues. I follow her out of the barracks and we turn right, heading towards the armory at the center of the firebase.

"We're not going to the armory." Naomi says after a few moments walking away from the barracks. "I wanted to talk."

"Oh." I say, suddenly feeling a little uncomfortable without the visor of my helmet in front of my face. We walk to the firebase's perimeter wall and she turns to look at me. I offer her a smile which I hope doesn't look as awkward as it feels. "About?" I question.

"ONI denied my request for access to your file." She says after a moment.

Part of me is surprised, and part of me isn't. "I see."

"That's all?" She presses.

I shrug. "What else can I say?"

There is a long pause. I watch Naomi raise her hands to her helmet and unlock it. She removes it and for the first time I get to properly see her. I'm immediately startled by how young she looks. Judging by her appearance she can't be more than eighteen, but I know for a fact she is older than that. Medical scars line her face and her eyes are piercing to the point of being uncomfortable to look at. She regards me for a moment, sizing me up I suppose and then turns her gaze to the horizon. "Nothing." She says coolly.

"You know I'd tell you if I could." I say.

"I don't." She confesses.

"Well- That's fair I guess." I rub the back of my neck. Even though I feel like I've known Naomi for a great deal longer than I have, the reality is she doesn't have a very compelling reason to trust me any more than the average UNSC marine. "Does it help if I tell you I have a good reason to stay quiet?"

She looks at me. "Do you think I am upset?"

I am taken aback by the question, unsure how to respond. "Maybe I did… before you just asked that. Now I'm not sure." She smiles. It is infectious. I smile back.

"I am not upset." She clarifies. "Merely… curious."

"Why?"

"You are unique. I have never met someone with the clearance level of a fellow Spartan, who wasn't one. On top of that, I have never before been denied access to a Tier One file - especially when it was relevant to the performance of my duties."

Performance of her duties. My neck starts to hurt and suddenly I'm aware of how much taller Naomi is than me. I look down and roll my shoulders to relieve some of the tension. "How can I show you that you can trust me?"

She laughs, well… snickers really. "I already know I can trust you. Your performance in the field was more than enough to prove that."

"Ahh. I'll take that as a compliment."

"You should. You would have made a good Spartan I think."

My brow perks up at that and I try to accept the statement with a modicum of grace, but I can feel the grin creeping across my face. "Yeah… Well - I was too old for the program."

Naomi's expression changes, a seriousness overtaking her features and her brow knitting together. She stares at me for a long moment, and I can see her running through scenarios in her mind. I realize the implications of what I've just said and any pride I had previously felt vanishes, replaced with a ball of anxiety in my guts.

"I see." She finally says after a long and awkward moment. "You should get back to the barracks and get some rest."

"What about you?" I ask.

The smile creeps across her face once again. "I'm going to watch the stars for a bit longer I think."

I nod, admiring the Spartan for a moment. "Well - don't stay up too late. Big day tomorrow, and all that." I turn back towards the barracks and make plans for a nice warm shower before hitting the sack.