I landed on the metal strewn floor with a solid thunk! Four more thunks! followed as the team jumped down from the Pelican. Although the hangar was destroyed, the air and gravity shield was still active which is what was allowing the fire to exist. I immediately raised my rifle, scanning the area for threats. I spotted an enemy and shot it, a Grunt running near the entrance, and waved my team forwards. We weaved through the wreckage and flames, me taking point and Kade watching our escape.

I stepped over a piece of a Ghost's small, purple, triangular wing and scanned the wall in front of us for an access tunnel. Selina got my attention and pointed to my left. There was a large purple door with a round top that split in the middle just behind some larger wreckage. I walked up to it and it opened automatically. Quickly scanning the tunnel, I lowered my rifle as I turned around to notify the team. "Clear" I whispered. Kade let out a short burst as another Grunt ran through the main opening into the hangar. I waved my team ahead and scanned the room behind us before walking back up front as they passed through.

Selina and Scott walked carefully next to me and slightly behind in standard formation. I rounded a corner to my right and checked my map at the intersection. Kyle was on an upper level and there was a lift a few turns down my left. I cleared the three passages before turning to my left. My team did the same and followed closely. Selina shot a Grunt waddling through a separate entrance. She dragged the body against the wall and we continued.

After a few more turns I paused. There had been little to no enemy movement despite how deep we had progressed into the supposedly active Covenant Carrier. Typically there would be grunts and an Elite or two making rounds as they patrolled the ship for threats like us. There was one more unsuspecting Grunt after the last one but other than that, nothing. I checked my motion tracker for the twentieth time and once again saw no movement in neighboring hallways.

"Something doesn't feel right." Kade remarked. I nodded.

"Do you think it could be a trap?" Sift asked.

"That's what we are here to find out. Expect anything." I said. I approached another maintenance door leading to the lift. It opened and I took a few steps, scanning the area. I pulled back quickly. I signaled with my hands commands to my team. Seven, spread out, take down quietly.

They nodded and we crept inside, sticking to the shadows. I walked behind a pillar that was just behind one of the Elites and a Grunt. The Elite was making the Grunt stand on it's head and the Grunt grumbled angrily as it begrudgingly complied. I quickly took out a screw from the floor and flicked it past the corner of the entrance to a hallway that was behind me. It pinged off the wall and rolled noisily to a stop just past the door.

The Elite straightened instantly and took a step before yelling at the Grunt. It got off it's head and grumpily walked over, dragging it's arms. The Elite grumbled angrily and turned back around. I took out my knife. It passed me and I snatched it out of sight, stabbing it's head and muffling it's mouth. It let out a small squeak before falling limp and I placed it against the pillar.

The Elite waited a minute and snarled again. When there was no response he stomped angrily past, grumbling in Sangheili. I jumped up onto it's back, stabbing it's neck and pulling it backwards. It grabbed at it's throat and grabbed my arm in a weak attempt to pull me off. It reached to press something, an alert maybe. I stabbed it again and it slumped backwards, weakly pulling again before falling limp on it's back as I got off.

I laid it down and risked a peek around the pillar. I saw a grunt disappear across from me and next to that the body of an Elite was dragged out of sight. Sift's helmet was barely visible around a corner pillar. I signaled her and the team to go towards the lift. I slowly walked out from behind the pillar and approached the halo of glowing purple. Selina and the rest of the team joined me. I put a hand in the light and felt it strongly pulling my hand upwards. The team looked at me expectantly. I took a deep breath and said, "Be prepared for anything." I stepped inside and started rising as it pulled me upwards. My team followed me. As I rose past the next floor, what it revealed was less than encouraging. The room was filled with Elites, Grunts, Jackals, and even a Hunter. All exits were covered. They were waiting for us and paused for a moment at our sudden entrance. In a few precious moments, it was quiet except for the hum of the gravity lift. Then they opened fire.

I returned it, still in the lift, taking out a few grunts and an Elite. I angled myself in the lift to fly directly in the midst of them and landed on some Scarab shields. I caught a glimpse of my team doing the same close to me.

Now the Covenant were still shooting but most missed me and hit their own comrades in their frenzy. Shouting and gunfire rang all around us and I felt like I was in the middle of a mob.

My shield was down a third. I crawled forwards, pushing legs and shields out of the way. The Covenant were overcrowding each other to try and kill us, and most couldn't even tell who was who in the mess of shoving aliens. I fired a steady stream in front of me to help clear the way. My team was close by and I had to bring out my pistol to shoot an Elite on top of me. As it fell limp on top of me, I didn't move it, but instead used it as a bloody shield. The Covenant were in chaos and confusion. I saw an energy sword swing so close to my visor, my face heated for a moment with it's pass.

I grabbed the owner's arm and pulled it over the crowd off balance, stepping on a Grunt in the process. The dead Elite fell off and guns jabbed me from all angles. My shield was down two thirds now. I stabbed the Elite and shoved it at the assorted Covenant trying to pile on me. They fell back and I finally broke through to the door. Kade was already there and the rest of the team formed a defensive barrier as soon as they arrived.

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I worked on the door, using a special kit to hack the access panel that I had programmed myself in my free time. The device scanned the lock and began running through combinations. Gunfire was constantly hammering my shield and I had to cover the device as the Hunter let off a plasma blast, hitting the wall next to me. My team was slowly being pushed backwards by the sheer number of Covenant attacking us, occasionally tossing a grenade to hold them back as they crawled over their dead comrades in an attempt to swarm us again. Selina stumbled just as I unlocked the door and the Elites swarmed over her. I saw a few pull out energy swords.

I quickly called, "Into the doorway!" and tackled the Elites off of Selina, not able to worry if one sliced me. She stumbled backwards and I struggled to keep their swords off of me. Leaning across one and kicking another, I struggled to hold the sword arm of another as it bared down on me. One had fallen under me but somehow had his sword arm above my head.

Selena called again and I spotted a plasma grenade on the belt of the one I was leaning across. In my peripheral I saw the sword above my head come down. I used my free hand and primed the grenade. Then I let go of the sword arm suddenly, causing it to slice one of the Elites. The one above me stabbed the one I was leaning across and it cried out in Sangheili.

I slipped out past the doorway and Scott smashed the lock. It slid closed just as the grenade exploded.

I let out a sigh and slumped a bit. The team leaned against the walls to catch their breath and refilling ammo. I looked down the long white hallway and checked my map. Kyle was in a room down this hallway, down to the right another hallway, and then a left. There would most likely be guards. No doubt this was a trap, but have they been expecting us since before we arrived or did they somehow notice us when we first flew in? I wondered.

Sift was checking Selina for injuries, much to her dismay. Sift then moved on to Scott, then Kade, then me. I tried to wave her off but she persisted and I awkwardly submitted myself to a body scan. She walked around me and paused in front of me as she pressed on different areas to check for broken bones. My breath hitched as she pressed on my stomach and I looked down but she held up a hand to keep me from moving.

She looked closer and reached out a hand, touching an area on the left side of my stomach below my chest plate. I sucked in a breath and flinched away as a needle of pain spiked through my muscles. When she pulled back her gloved hand, it was covered in blood.

"You have a nasty cut there, just missed your primary armor and cut the under suit open. Energy blade no doubt." She leaned closer. "Went right between your ribs, punctured spleen and stomach. I'm going to need to get some stitches and biofoam in that." She stood up. "Kade, Scott, I'll need you to hold him down. Selina, watch our exits, I'll do it fast but just in case."

I protested, "I don't need them to hold me down. I can handle the pain."

She shook her head, "Just taking precautions, I don't want you flinching and messing up the stitches, especially considering I'm going internal."

I sighed and laid down. The team came over and grabbed my arms and legs. Sift took off her medical equipment and pulled out stitches, biofoam, a few smaller things, and a black substance. "What is that?" I nodded to it.

She looked at it and said, "Oh, that's a little extra something they give us for armor punctures. It seals it as good as new so you can continue to work in a compromised atmosphere, it takes a bit to set so it's not good for quick fixes but we should have plenty of time before we leave for it to harden. Lie still now, I'm going to seal your organs up." She took off her gloves and put sanitary gloves on.

Reaching for the stitches and tool, she scooted closer and bent down. I braced myself and she used one hand to widen the opening. I clenched my fists and scrunched up my face, straining at Kade's hold slightly as she pulled on my skin and brushed multiple damaged nerves. It felt like someone was rubbing glass on and inside my skin.

She was using metal stitches so she quickly clamped them on, each making a little click! I ground my teeth to distract myself as I tried to hold stock-still. They felt like tiny knives. Kade and Scott watched and kept a firm hold on my arms and legs.

Finally she finished and filled it with bio foam to be sure it would hold, stitching together my skin. Lastly she coated it with a cooling gel and then smothered the black gel over top, sealing it to the edges of the hole.

Kade and Scott let go and I sat up, wincing as the motion moved my damaged muscles. Sift packed away her kits and stool up, reaching down a hand. I accepted it and she pulled me up. "Thank you" I said. She nodded and grabbed her gun. No other conversation was necessary. I grabbed my gun from where it was propped up against the wall and reloaded it. "Let's go, we've wasted enough time as it is." I ordered and took a step and winced. Sift saw and offered her shoulder to lean on but I put up a hand. I walked up front, only slightly limping, and turned into the right hallway. The rest of the team knew I would not accept help, and it would only prevent them from doing their jobs properly anyway.

Everything in the carrier was purple and sleek. Well, there were still circuits and you could see lines where the metal sheets fit against each other, but they were smooth and rounded. Strange lines ran vertical along the wall, surprisingly symmetrical. Even though there were many purple and blue lights lining the walls and ceiling, it was dark. Multiple rounded doors and openings lined it and the wall curved upward.

I walked very carefully, everything deathly silent, the only sound coming from the thumps of our boots. I swung my rifle back and forth, still limping.

We had just begun to round the next corner when I heard a thump. I raised a hand to halt and scanned the hallway, staying behind the corner. I checked my motion tracker as a louder thump! echoed down the hallway. Nothing within range.

Now it became it clear it was a couple pairs of footsteps. I desperately looked down the hallway, trying to catch a glimmer or an outline. The team stepped backwards a few steps and I adjusted my hold on my rifle. Finally I saw an outline. Then two more appeared behind it. I held up three fingers and then waved my hand forward to attack. I rolled out from behind the wall and fired on all three. Scott, Kade, and Selina rolled out as well and fired.

Their invisibility shields disengaged and I stepped back as I paused my attack, No...