Smoke was everywhere... The pilot was complaining. Perhaps he was afraid, maybe he felt it too... I thought to myself "as long as I had purpose..." Holding the butstock of my rifle tight against my shoulder, I looked to the old woman and spoke: "How you holding up?"... she looked at me... her face was showing despair. anguish. even guilt... As if she had just lost everything she had worked so hard for... The pilot shouted: "BRACE FOR IMPACT!".. Without hesitation, I quickly braced myself. A thick green plasma beam pierced the floor, and quickly killed anyone who was remotely close to it. The pelican was spiraling towards the ground, I locked my armor the very second we hit... I awoke a while later in a daze... My armor was working, limited movement in my left leg on account of the gel hardening from the impact... But I cant complain, I was alive... I was alone... I did not see the pelican... But I saw a smoldering crater in the distance. There was no point in a recon job, Reach was lost. I looked skyward and said aloud: "Sancte Míchael Archángele, defénde nos in proélio contra nequítiam et insídias diáboli esto præsídium." I counted my ammo. two mags. four plus one in the rifle, and four on my thigh. Plus the rounds on my shoulder, that much ammo could get me far... Real far... But there was so much going on. I had no cover, and the covenant were swarming everywhere. I counted eight spirits and god knows how many phantoms from the moment I awoke. Visibility was poor on account of the traffic overhead, but they weren't paying any attention to me so I cant complain... I started my run, there was a super carrier about 4 kilometers away, and the gravlift was active. I assumed they were evacuating. Right into the thick of the contingency I ran. "One... Two. Three Four..... Five reload... Six... Six!" From the corner of my eye there she was! I steered my rifle toward the zealot that had its sword in a coiled position over six. *BAM!* "My rifle rings loud and far," *BAM!* "My rifle roars with the soul of a spartan!" *BAM!* "My rifle kills without hesitation!" *BAM!* "My rifle protects..." four elite officers in shambles lay, scattered entrails and body parts riddle the area around the downed spartan. I reached my hand out to Six and helped her to her feet, she was wounded... It was bad, but she could walk. "Jun.. I guess ten seconds earlier would have been too much to ask huh?" She laughed as blood dribbled from her mouth. "Sorry, my armor is not set to sprint." She let out a giggle " Ouch, Don't make me laugh Jun, Im barely holding together as it is." I laughed, "Its good to see you Six. Whats your condition?" " Hand me your helmet and ill tell you." I removed my helmet and placed it over her head. She was covering her wounds and did not have a hand free. It was the least I could do... She replied. "Not good... Battery failing, Health is at five percent, left arm is locked... Help me out to that bunker over there, Red teams resting place... One of them must have a medical kit." "Alright. When we get into some cover we can patch you up. as for your battery I can charge it, I just need your security code so I can get access to your backpack." "Sounds like a plan Jun... Sounds like a plan....." We walked into the storm together... and slowly faded away.....