Contact Arcadia

Location: Arcadia, Outskirts of Pirth City

Space System: Procyon System

Date: March 3, 2531

Time: 0530 Hours

The air smelled like smoke and scorched earth. I could taste the grit on my tongue through the vents of my helmet as we moved into the ruins of Pirth City. The distant thunder of Covenant artillery echoed off the broken buildings, the sky above glowing red in patches from the fires raging throughout the city.

"Stay close," Allen said through the comms, his voice steady as ever. "Eyes up. Covenant could be anywhere."

He didn't need to tell us. I was scanning everything—every corner, every broken window, every alley that looked just wide enough to hide a Brute or Jackal. My M392 felt solid in my hands, but I couldn't shake the nerves. My heart was still hammering in my chest from the drop, the adrenaline refusing to die down.

We moved in a tight formation, Slink in front, leading the way. She was quick but cautious, her MA5C sweeping the rubble like she expected something to jump out any second. Behind her, Allen moved with practiced ease, his steps careful and deliberate. Ramirez was just behind me, the heavy weight of his M41 SPNKR shifting slightly as he walked. Doc stayed close to the back, quiet, rifle up.

We cut through the city streets, moving from cover to cover—abandoned vehicles, crumbling walls, anything that would give us a little extra protection. The Covenant was out there, somewhere. We just hadn't found them yet.

Location: Arcadia, Pirth City

Date: March 3, 2531

Time: 0540 Hours

"Casper," Allen's voice came through the comms, a low rumble in my ear. "Take point with Slink."

"Roger," I muttered, shifting forward until I was just behind Slink. She didn't say anything, just glanced at me for half a second before turning back to the street ahead. I could feel her judging me, measuring whether I'd hold up in a firefight.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and kept my rifle trained forward, scanning the ruins. The city was a ghost town, nothing moving except the smoke curling from the wreckage. It didn't feel right. The Covenant should've been here by now—at least a patrol or something.

Then I heard it. Faint, but getting closer—the unmistakable whine of a Banshee.

Allen barked into the comms. "Take cover! Now!"

We scrambled, ducking into an alley as the Banshee screamed overhead, its engines a high-pitched whine that rattled my teeth. I pressed myself against the wall, heart pounding as the shadow of the aircraft passed over us.

"Covenant air patrol," Ramirez muttered, leaning his back against the wall beside me. "Figures they'd be out early."

"They're not looking for us," Slink said quietly, her eyes scanning the rooftops. "Not yet, anyway."

"Doesn't matter," Allen cut in. "We move fast, we move quiet. We're not here for a fight, not unless we have to."

I glanced at Slink. She gave a slight nod, and we moved out, careful to stay in the shadows of the buildings, keeping low and out of sight. The Banshee was still circling, but we'd lost visual on it for now. Maybe that was a good thing. Maybe it wasn't.

Location: Arcadia, Pirth City, Target Building

Date: March 3, 2531

Time: 0600 Hours

The building we were looking for was a half-collapsed skyscraper near the center of the city. The place had once been a corporate office, maybe something important, but now it was nothing more than a cracked shell, one side blown out from the Covenant bombardment. According to the briefing, the politician we were after—some bigwig in the planetary government—was holed up inside with his family, hiding in the lower levels.

Allen raised a fist, signaling us to stop just outside the perimeter of the building. We crouched behind what used to be a fountain in front of the entrance, now just a pile of rubble.

"Alright," Allen said. "Casper, Slink, you two are going in first. I want a full sweep of the building's entry before we move the team inside. Ramirez, stay with me for support. Doc, watch our six."

I nodded, my stomach tightening as I moved up alongside Slink. She glanced at me once, then back at the building.

"Stick close," she said quietly, her Southern accent just barely peeking through. "Don't want you getting lost in there."

"Wasn't planning on it," I muttered, gripping my rifle tighter as we approached the entrance.

The inside of the building was a mess—dusty, half-destroyed furniture, debris scattered everywhere. There were signs of a hasty retreat: overturned desks, papers strewn across the floor, a shattered holotable still flickering with static. But there was no sign of life.

Allen's voice crackled in my ear. "Casper, report."

"Building's empty," I whispered. "No movement. Doesn't look like anyone's been here in a while."

Allen was quiet for a moment. "Keep moving. They might still be downstairs."

I glanced at Slink, and we pushed deeper into the building. The stairwell leading down was half-blocked by rubble, but we managed to squeeze through, moving carefully as the light from above started to fade. My HUD was already switching to low-light vision by the time we reached the basement level.

It was quiet. Too quiet.

The basement was a large, open space, probably used for storage at one point. Now, it was just another graveyard of broken crates and abandoned supplies. But there, near the far wall, I saw it: a small, makeshift barricade, hastily thrown together with furniture and debris. And behind it—

People. Three of them.

I held up a hand, signaling Slink to stop. She was already on it, raising her rifle but keeping the barrel pointed low.

"We've got movement," I whispered into the comms. "Three civilians. Looks like the politician and his family."

"Roger that," Allen replied. "Hold position. We're moving in."

I moved forward slowly, keeping my weapon lowered but ready, just in case. The politician—a middle-aged man with graying hair—looked up at me as I approached, his eyes wide with fear. Beside him, a woman clutched a young boy to her chest, her face pale and drawn.

"We're here to get you out," I said quietly, trying to sound as calm as possible. "Stay low and follow us."

The man nodded shakily, and I motioned for them to follow. They crawled out from behind the barricade, the boy clinging to his mother's leg as they moved.

Allen and the others arrived moments later, securing the area as Doc moved in to check on the civilians.

"We're clear," Slink said, her voice low as she scanned the room.

"Let's move," Allen ordered, already leading the way back up the stairwell. "Stay close and keep quiet."

Location: Arcadia, Pirth City, Streets

Date: March 3, 2531

Time: 0630 Hours

We made it halfway back to the extraction point before things went sideways.

The civilians were doing their best to stay low, but the kid couldn't keep quiet. Every few steps, he let out a whimper or a soft cry, and his mother would hush him, her voice shaking. It was only a matter of time before something heard us.

And then, it did.

"Movement, six o'clock!" Slink's voice cut through the comms, sharp and tense.

I whipped around, rifle up, just in time to see the Covenant patrol coming out of the alley. Three Grunts, two Jackals, and a Brute at the back, all of them armed and already moving toward us.

"Engage!" Allen shouted, and the world exploded into noise.

My rifle kicked in my hands as I opened fire, the rounds punching into the Grunts' methane tanks. They squealed, their armor cracking as they fell, gas hissing into the air. Slink was beside me, her MA5C spitting bullets, dropping the Jackals as they raised their shields.

Ramirez was already bringing the SPNKR up, his voice a low growl as he locked onto the Brute. "Say goodnight!"

The rocket blasted through the air, hitting the Brute dead-on and turning him into a cloud of fire and debris. The explosion rocked the street, sending the remaining Jackals scrambling for cover, but they didn't make it far.

"Clear!" Slink called out, her rifle still aimed down the alley.

I glanced back at the civilians. They were huddled behind a pile of rubble, eyes wide with terror. The kid was crying now, his sobs loud enough to cut through the fading echo of gunfire.

"Keep moving!" Allen ordered, his voice hard. "We're not out of this yet."

I nodded, my hands still shaking slightly as I lowered my rifle. We needed to get out of here—fast.

Location: Arcadia, Pirth City, Extraction Point

Date: March 3, 2531

Time: 0700 Hours

The extraction point was just ahead, a clearing near the city's edge where the Never Forget's Pelicans were supposed to pick us up. We'd cleared most of the Covenant forces, but there was no telling how long that would last.

Allen was in the lead, his eyes scanning the horizon as we moved through the last stretch of rubble. Ramirez was covering the rear, his SPNKR at the ready, while Slink and I kept the civilians in the middle, making sure they stayed low and out of sight.

"Pelicans are inbound," Allen said, his voice tight with concentration. "We just need to hold out for a few more minutes."

We reached the clearing, and I felt a brief wave of relief wash over me. We were almost there.

Almost.

Then the ground shook, and a roar filled the air, loud enough to rattle my bones. I turned, heart freezing in my chest, as the massive form of a Wraith rolled into view, its plasma cannon glowing with deadly energy.

"Get down!" Allen shouted, but I was already diving for cover.

The plasma blast hit the ground where we'd been standing seconds before, vaporizing a chunk of the street in a brilliant blue explosion. The heat washed over me, searing my armor as I scrambled behind a pile of debris.

"Ramirez, hit that thing!" Allen barked.

Ramirez didn't need to be told twice. He brought the SPNKR up, took aim, and fired.

The rocket streaked toward the Wraith, but it was already moving. The rocket hit its side, sending a shower of sparks into the air but barely slowing it down.

"We need more firepower!" Slink yelled, her voice strained.

"Casper, with me!" Allen shouted, already moving toward the Wraith's flank.

I didn't hesitate. I followed him, keeping low as we moved through the wreckage, my rifle ready.

The Wraith's cannon glowed again, and I knew we had seconds before it fired. I pushed forward, heart pounding in my chest, my mind racing.

This was it. This was the real test.