Awakening in the stars

Jamie moved through the narrow corridors of the Covenant supply station like a shadow, his enhanced senses alert to every sound and movement around him. The station was bustling with Covenant activity—Grunts moving supplies, Elites overseeing operations, and the occasional Jackal guarding choke points. Despite the constant motion, the Covenant had no idea that UNSC forces had infiltrated their base.

The Marines with Jamie were skilled, hardened soldiers who had faced the Covenant before, but even they had to marvel at how easily the Spartan could slip through enemy lines. They followed closely, their movements precise and disciplined, as they navigated the twisting hallways.

Cortana's voice broke the silence, transmitting directly into Jamie's helmet. "You're approaching the docking bay where the next supply dropship is being prepped. I've marked the best route to avoid detection and maintain the element of surprise."

Jamie glanced at his HUD, where a blue waypoint blinked over the path Cortana had mapped out. He nodded to the Marines, signaling for them to continue following him as they approached a long corridor that led to the docking area.

The sound of alien voices echoed down the hall, and Jamie held up a fist to halt the group. Two Sangheili guards stood at the far end, their energy swords glowing faintly in the low light. They were conversing in the Covenant's harsh, guttural language, likely discussing the next transport run to the fleet.

"Elites. Two of them," Jamie whispered over the squad's private channel. "We take them out quietly, no alarms."

The Marines acknowledged with nods, raising their silenced weapons. Jamie, faster and more experienced in close combat, took point. He moved like lightning, covering the distance between him and the nearest Elite in seconds. Before the Sangheili could even turn its head, Jamie's combat knife slid between the gaps in its armor, severing its spine with a swift, lethal motion. The second Elite barely had time to react before Jamie's Marines opened fire, silenced shots tearing through its shields and dropping it instantly.

"Clear," Jamie said quietly, motioning the squad forward.

They reached the end of the hallway and crouched behind a series of supply crates, gazing out at the docking bay beyond. The scene was a flurry of activity. Covenant dropships—Phantoms—were being loaded with supplies, fuel, and personnel, all under the watchful eyes of a handful of Elites and a larger contingent of Grunts. At the far end of the bay, the Phantom designated for the next supply run was nearly ready to depart.

"That's our ride," Jamie muttered, studying the bay's layout. They needed to get aboard that dropship without alerting the entire station. It was a delicate operation, and any wrong move could jeopardize the entire mission.

"I've accessed their scheduling logs," Cortana said, her tone calm and analytical. "The next Phantom is set to depart in five minutes. We need to time this perfectly—once the dropship reaches low orbit, we'll be out of their sensor range, and we can proceed with planting the Shiva."

Jamie looked at the Marines. "We'll wait for the last minute. When the Phantom's shields cycle as it prepares for takeoff, we move in. Stay low and stick close to the ship. We can't afford to be spotted."

The Marines gave silent nods of affirmation. Tension hung in the air as they waited for the right moment. Jamie checked his gear—everything was in place, and he was ready to move at a moment's notice. He could feel the ticking clock in the back of his mind, every second counting down toward their chance to strike.

Finally, the Phantom's thrusters began to glow, and its shields flickered as they cycled through the final pre-flight checks. Jamie signaled the team with a hand gesture, and they moved as one, darting from the cover of the crates and slipping toward the dropship's rear landing ramp.

They reached the Phantom just as the shields began to stabilize, sliding aboard undetected as the ramp closed behind them. Jamie held his breath, listening for any sign that the Covenant crew had noticed their intrusion. But there was nothing—only the hum of the Phantom's engines as it lifted off and began its ascent toward the fleet.

"Phase one complete," Cortana said softly. "Now, let's plant that nuke."

Jamie and the Marines moved to the rear of the dropship's hold, careful to remain out of sight of the few Covenant crew members monitoring the cargo bay. The Shiva nuclear device, which had been securely stored in a compact carrying case, was already prepped for deployment. Jamie knelt by the case and quickly entered the arming sequence, his fingers moving deftly across the controls.

As the Phantom continued its ascent, Jamie felt the familiar weight of responsibility settle on his shoulders. He had done dangerous missions before—plenty of them—but this one carried an extra layer of risk. If they failed, not only would they lose Arcadia, but the Covenant blockade would remain unbroken, cutting off any chance of UNSC reinforcements.

"Ready for deployment," Cortana confirmed. "The Phantom will dock with the Covenant carrier in approximately two minutes. Once we're aboard, we'll need to move quickly to reach the carrier's power core. That's the best place to plant the Shiva."

Jamie nodded. "We'll have a small window once we're on the carrier. No mistakes."

As the Phantom approached the massive Covenant carrier, Jamie took a moment to observe the colossal ship through the small viewport in the dropship's rear. The carrier was enormous, a floating fortress bristling with weaponry and protected by powerful shields. Taking down a ship of this size with a single nuke was no easy feat, but it was their only option.

The Phantom docked smoothly with the carrier's port-side bay, and the docking ramp hissed open. Jamie motioned for the Marines to stay low as they disembarked, blending into the shadows of the Covenant vessel. The carrier's interior was even more massive than he had anticipated, with towering walkways and alien machinery everywhere.

"Cortana, what's our route to the power core?" Jamie asked, his voice a quiet murmur.

"I've mapped out a path that avoids the heaviest concentrations of Covenant forces," she replied, her hologram flickering on his HUD. "It'll take us through maintenance corridors and ventilation shafts, but it'll keep us out of sight until we reach the core."

Jamie led the team forward, his movements careful and deliberate. They passed through the cavernous interior of the carrier, slipping past groups of Grunts and Elites as they moved deeper into the ship. The Marines followed his lead, their eyes scanning for any sign of danger.

The tension built as they approached the power core, a massive reactor that hummed with energy deep within the carrier's bowels. The area was lightly guarded, with only a few Covenant engineers tending to the core's systems.

"This is it," Jamie whispered. "We plant the Shiva here, set the timer, and get out before the fireworks start."

He knelt by the core, carefully securing the nuclear device in a position that would maximize the damage. The Marines watched his back, their weapons ready in case the Covenant engineers noticed them.

"Shiva is armed," Cortana announced. "Ten-minute countdown initiated."

Jamie exhaled slowly, standing and motioning for the team to move out. "Let's get off this ship."

The return journey was just as tense, if not more so. They had only ten minutes before the Shiva detonated, and any delay could cost them their lives. As they moved through the carrier's corridors, Jamie's heightened senses picked up on every sound—the hum of alien machinery, the footsteps of Covenant patrols, the distant voices of Sangheili commanders.

With only a few minutes left on the countdown, they reached the docking bay where the Phantom had dropped them off. But as they approached the dropship, something was wrong. Covenant troops were gathered around the Phantom, inspecting it closely. One of the Elites barked orders, and Jamie knew instantly that they had been compromised.

"We don't have time for a firefight," Jamie said urgently, his mind racing. "Cortana, options?"

"We could try to steal another Phantom, but that would take too long," Cortana replied quickly. "I'm detecting a Covenant Seraph fighter in a nearby hangar. It's a single-seater, but I can override the systems to get everyone aboard."

"That'll have to do," Jamie said. "Move fast. We're almost out of time."

With the clock ticking down, Jamie led the team toward the alternate hangar, slipping past the Covenant forces that were now on high alert. They reached the Seraph just as the timer on the Shiva ticked down to two minutes.

"Get in!" Jamie ordered, helping the Marines climb into the Seraph's cramped interior. It was a tight fit, but with Cortana's assistance, they managed to override the fighter's systems and take control of the vessel.

As the Seraph's engines roared to life, Jamie gunned the controls and shot out of the carrier's hangar. Behind them, the Covenant ship loomed large, unaware of the imminent destruction. They raced toward the relative safety of Arcadia's upper atmosphere, the countdown ticking down to its final moments.

"Five seconds," Cortana said, her voice tense. "Four… three… two…"

The Shiva detonated.

A brilliant flash of light filled the sky as the Covenant carrier erupted in a massive fireball. The shockwave rippled outward, tearing through the ship and sending debris spiraling into space. Jamie could feel the Seraph shudder as the explosion rocked the surrounding area.

"Covenant carrier is down," Cortana confirmed. "Arcadia is clear for now."

Jamie let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. They had done it. They had broken the Covenant's blockade and bought Arcadia precious time.

But as he guided the Seraph back toward UNSC-controlled territory, he knew this victory was only temporary. The Covenant would regroup, and the war would continue.

Still, for the moment, they had won. And Jamie, against all odds, had lived to fight another day.