It started as a whisper, barely noticeable above the rhythmic drip of condensation from the towering, shadow-drenched ceiling. Then came the hiss of pneumatic actuators, a low groan of metal shifting reluctantly after long disuse. Castin was the first to react, his eyes snapping sharply toward the previously inert row of massive mechanized suits.
"Hold up," he hissed, raising his rifle instinctively. "Something's moving."
Everyone froze in place, muscles coiled tight with tension. Vance pivoted immediately, shotgun snapping to his shoulder, his breathing slow but audible. Matias moved up beside Castin, eyes narrow and cautious.
Ahead, one of the large cargo mech suits twitched, its mechanical limbs shuddering awake as dormant hydraulics filled with pressure. The towering figure, previously standing lifeless and still as a sentinel, now began unfolding itself, its metallic joints grinding with protest.
"What the hell is it doing?" Garret muttered, gripping his rifle tighter.
Castin's voice was grim, barely audible. "Nothing good."
The machine took a lumbering step forward, the cavern floor trembling beneath its immense weight. Its clawed arm swept down, effortlessly lifting a nearby terminal computer off the ground as though it weighed nothing.
"Take cover!" Matias barked, his voice snapping everyone back to action.
The massive terminal flew across the cavern, crashing violently into the wall and exploding into a shower of sparks and shattered metal.
Castin's mind raced with the scale of strength on display. That thing has to weigh at least two hundred pounds, he thought with alarm. And it threw it like styrofoam.
The team scattered, sprinting toward the safety of a nearby storage container, Garret stumbled before getting his bearings as they made their way to the closest piece of solid cover.
Behind them, Castin slid roughly to a halt, whipping his head around to see Garret make it behind the cover and then to confirm everyone else had made it.
Lorne hadn't moved.
Castin's heart seized in his chest as he saw Lorne standing utterly still, eyes wide, breath shallow. The terror written plainly across his face was unmistakable, a familiar, paralyzing kind of fear Castin had seen before.
"Lorne!" Kiernan shouted urgently, beckoning wildly. "Move!"
But Lorne didn't budge. He stood rigid, trapped somewhere else entirely, his gaze unfocused as the towering mech advanced slowly toward him, the ground shaking beneath each measured step.
In Lorne's mind he was no longer in the cavern; he was caught in a dark room, surrounded by deafening silence. The darkness pressed in on him, smothering, absolute. He stood immobile, trapped in the relentless grip of memories that refused to let him go. He could hear nothing but the muted pulse of his own heartbeat, each beat counting down to inevitable doom.
Then, piercing the silence with shattering clarity, a voice that wasn't his own exploded inside his mind:
"MOVE!"
The single command flooded his senses, overriding every paralyzing memory. Suddenly he was back, gasping, eyes wide and locked onto the enormous claw descending toward him. Without thinking, he threw himself to the side, diving desperately away from the lethal mechanical grip.
The claw slammed violently into the ground, pulverizing stone and cracking the floor beneath it, mere inches from where Lorne had stood.
He scrambled backward, heart hammering painfully against his ribs, breath coming in ragged bursts as he sprinted desperately toward the container where the rest of the team was crouched. As he slid into cover, shoulders slamming roughly against the metal surface, he struggled to breathe, the memory of that voice still echoing through his head.
He'd felt it before, the same unmistakable sensation from Roe's chambers, the night Naomi had reached into his mind to save him. He looked around wildly, confusion clouding his already panicked thoughts.
Before he could voice it, Jennifer shouted sharply over the chaos, her tone firm and controlled. "Castin, Lorne! Either of you have experience piloting those things?"
Castin glanced sharply at Lorne, both men nodding simultaneously. Castin called back urgently, rifle gripped tight. "Yeah, worked docks for six years, why?"
Without hesitation, Jennifer broke from cover, yelling back over her shoulder as she sprinted toward the furthest row of dormant mechs. "Great! Cover me!"
A chorus of panicked voices erupted behind her:
"Jen! NO!"
"Are you insane?"
Matias' voice rang out sharply above the others. "What the hell is she doing? She's going to get herself killed!"
Jennifer didn't stop, didn't look back. Her heart pounded fiercely, adrenaline propelling her forward, the distant mech now taking notice of her approach, turning slowly toward her with cold, mechanical precision.
She reached the dormant mech suit at the end, leaping and climbing deftly up its metallic leg with practiced ease that belied her own inexperience, muscle memory borrowed from someone else. She swung herself up into the open cockpit, settling into the worn seat.
The controls beneath her fingers felt utterly foreign, an intimidating array of levers and switches she didn't understand. Her breath quickened, panic surging briefly through her veins. She squeezed her eyes shut tight, heart pounding violently.
"Come on, Castin," she whispered desperately, fingers gripping the controls. "I hope you were good at this."
In an instant, reality fractured, and another place overtook her senses.
She was standing in heavy rain, the chill piercing her skin, inside a different mech entirely. On the mechanical arm, a now familiar globe bearing the bold letters "UNSC" shone brightly through driving rain. Lightning split the darkness, illuminating chaos around her: dockworkers shouted urgently, pointing upward toward a towering crane swaying dangerously beneath its load.
The words rang out in panic, "Crane's unstable! Everyone run! Evacuate!"
But her body, Castin's body, she realized, moved instinctively, driving the mech forward with perfect clarity and control. She felt the vibration of the actuators, heard the grind of joints beneath her fingers as she piloted it skillfully to the rear of the collapsing crane. With seamless precision, she reached out, gripping the strut and pulling downwards, stabilizing it enough for the operator to carefully drop its perilous load to safety.
The scene blurred, dissolving away like ink in water. Naomi snapped back into the present, eyes flying open. Her hands moved with immediate confidence, flicking switches, engaging controls. The mech suit shuddered awake beneath her, engines roaring to life, pneumatic limbs extending powerfully.
She looked forward, determination flooding her chest as the cockpit closed around her. Ahead, the enemy mech loomed, waiting, mechanical claws flexing menacingly.
From the safety of their cover, the team watched with stunned disbelief as Jennifer's mech lurched forward, charging headlong into battle against another mechanical goliath.
Castin raised his rifle again, gaze locked forward. "Cover her!" he shouted fiercely, aiming toward the enemy mech and opening fire, sparks scattering harmlessly across its armored plating.
Lorne steadied himself beside Castin, confusion and adrenaline still thrumming violently through his veins. But as he stared ahead at the unfolding chaos, one thought clawed urgently at his mind, impossible to ignore:
That was her.
It had to be.
The noise of battle crashed over them, but inside Lorne's mind, a far quieter war had just begun.
Metal clashed against metal, sending deafening echoes through the massive cavern. Jennifer surged forward in her commandeered mech, its heavy footsteps shaking the ground with each stride. She gripped the controls with Castin's borrowed expertise, each movement guided by muscle memory that didn't belong to her.
Ahead, the rogue mech lumbered toward her, its oversized mechanical claws still flexing. It pivoted, assessing the newcomer with cold calculation. Jennifer tightened her jaw, fingers dancing over controls that seconds ago were foreign, but now felt as natural as breathing.
"Come on," she muttered fiercely under her breath, eyes locked on the hulking threat. "Let's see what you've got."
The enemy mech lunged, swinging a massive steel arm toward her cockpit. Naomi reacted, her machine ducking beneath the sweeping blow with surprising agility. Castin's memories guided her hands, maneuvering the mech effortlessly. She spun the mech on its heel, countering swiftly with a powerful strike, the metallic fist crunching solidly into the opposing machine's chassis.
Sparks erupted as the rogue mech staggered backward, metal plates buckling under the impact.
"Keep it up, Jennifer!" Castin shouted, rallying the others from their position behind the storage container. Gunfire rattled uselessly against the enemy mech's reinforced exterior, but it served as enough distraction to allow Jennifer to reposition herself.
The rogue mech recovered, turning sharply with a mechanical growl. It seized a nearby crate, effortlessly hurling it toward her. Jennifer dodged at the last instant, the heavy container slamming into the cavern wall and exploding into a cascade of metal shards.
Breathless, Jennifer circled her opponent, both mechs stalking each other in a tense dance. With every movement, every maneuver, Castin's experience poured into her, his confidence becoming her own. Yet a deeper sensation began to surface, this felt different from Rivets' borrowed skills. It was sharper, more urgent, personal.
"Jennifer, watch out!" Matias called from below, voice strained with concern.
She turned just as the rogue mech charged again, metal claws slicing the air. Instinctively, she caught the incoming blow, gripping its massive wrist in her mech's hydraulically powered hands. Hydraulics screamed, gears whined, and both giants strained against each other, locked in a perilous stalemate.
Then, suddenly, Jennifer saw it, the pilot's seat of the other mech, partially visible behind cracked and weathered plating. In a blink, reality shifted violently around her. The cavern dissolved, replaced by the shadowed room of her nightmares.
Roe sat in that cockpit, smiling cruelly, eyes gleaming with cold mockery. She froze, her breath catching sharply in her throat, horror locking her muscles rigid.
The ghostly figure of Roe leaned forward, sneering. "What's the matter, sweetheart?" his voice echoed mockingly, sharp as a blade. "You're as white as a ghost."
Jennifer hesitated, a tremor shaking her grip on the controls. Memories flooded through her, the brutal stabbing, Roe's shocked face, blood warm on her hands. The strength drained abruptly from her limbs, paralyzing her with the weight of past trauma.
The rogue mech took advantage of the momentary lapse, wrenching its claw free and grabbing fiercely at her cockpit. Jennifer gasped, jolted back into stark reality just in time to see the massive metal fingers close around her mech's frame.
"Jennifer!" Castin's voice shattered through her panic.
She desperately fought to regain control, but the rogue mech's grip tightened with relentless force. Metal groaned and shrieked as her cockpit began to buckle inward.
Below, the infiltration team watched in frozen horror.
"No!" Kiernan shouted, stepping forward, powerless to stop the unfolding catastrophe.
With a final, crushing squeeze, Jennifer's mech was hurled violently aside, crashing to the ground in a smoking heap. For a heart-stopping moment, silence filled the cavern, thick with dread.
But the rogue mech didn't remain standing long. The severe damage Jennifer had inflicted took hold, the machine staggered, sparks cascading as internal systems overloaded. It crumpled forward, collapsing in a ruined heap of smoking metal and shattered hydraulics.
"Jennifer!" Castin broke cover first, sprinting toward the downed mech without hesitation.
A sudden grinding sound filled the cavern once more, another mech further down the line beginning to activate, sensors flickering ominously.
"Castin!" Kiernan shouted urgently, already halfway to intercept him. "There's another one, move!"
Castin skidded to a halt, torn between helping Jennifer and evading the emerging threat.
"We can't stay here!" Matias yelled firmly, voice sharp with command. He pointed across the cavern floor. "Over there! That structure, move now!"
Reluctantly, Castin followed, eyes lingering on Jennifer's mangled mech as they fled toward the distant building. The team charged desperately across open ground, boots slamming heavily against the rough stone surface. Behind them, the second mech roared to life, its heavy steps echoing menacingly, but slower, still awakening from its long slumber.
Garret reached the structure first, slamming against the door, shotgun raised protectively. Lorne quickly forced it open, sweeping the interior with a practiced eye.
"Clear!" Lorne called urgently. "Everyone inside, now!"
They piled swiftly into the small, bare room, slamming the heavy door shut behind them and bracing it hastily. Breath came in ragged gasps, hearts hammering violently in chests as they finally allowed themselves a moment to recover.
Outside, distant mechanical footsteps thudded ominously but did not approach closer. Silence slowly descended, punctuated only by the rasping breath of exhausted survivors.
Castin leaned heavily against the wall, eyes squeezed tightly shut, Jennifer's final moments replaying relentlessly in his mind.
Kiernan broke the fragile silence first, voice strained, uncertain. "What the hell just happened out there?"
Lorne lifted his head slowly, face pale, jaw clenched tight with lingering shock. "She saved me. Again."
Castin met Lorne's gaze sharply, the implication clear and heavy. "You felt it too, didn't you?"
Lorne nodded stiffly, voice low, strained. "It was exactly the same as before. Roe's room. The girl, Naomi, she did that."
The group exchanged wary, confused looks. Matias broke in gently, his voice steady, grounding. "That's impossible. Naomi's not…"
He trailed off as understanding crept coldly into his voice, realization sinking into each of them one by one.
Jennifer's inexplicable piloting skill, her sudden bravery, the mysterious arrival at the entrance, the puzzle pieces snapped together with painful clarity.
Castin's voice was raw, barely audible. "Jennifer is Naomi."
The silence that followed felt deafening, each heartbeat heavy with disbelief.
Before anyone could speak, distant movement outside drew their attention. They exchanged tense looks, weapons at the ready. But nothing approached. Whatever force had awoken the machines, whatever purpose Nikodemus had for this compound, it was still hidden in shadow.
They were trapped, wounded, but alive.
And somewhere out there, amid the twisted metal wreckage, Jennifer… Naomi, might still be alive too.
Castin straightened slowly, determination hardening in his eyes.
"Alright," he said firmly, steeling himself against the uncertainty ahead. "We catch our breath, patch up, then we're going back for her."
No one argued, the grim resolve settling over them like armor.
Castin leaned back against the cold metal wall, allowing himself a moment to breathe. His pulse gradually slowed from its frantic pounding, his thoughts replaying the last chaotic minutes over and over.
"We need to take inventory," Matias said firmly, breaking the uneasy silence. He cast a glance around the exhausted group. "Anyone hurt?"
"Banged up, nothing major," Vance muttered, checking his shotgun. Lorne nodded stiffly, eyes distant, still processing his own internal storm.
"Kiernan?" Matias asked, eyes narrowing as the medic knelt quietly in the corner, hunched protectively over Garret.
Kiernan didn't respond immediately, shoulders tense with silent urgency. "Garret?" he murmured gently. "Can you hear me?"
Castin straightened sharply, the concern in Kiernan's voice pulling him forward. He walked over kneeling beside Kiernan, worry tightening his chest as he saw Garret's grimace, his hand pressed firmly against his side, dark blood seeping slowly between his fingers matting his fur.
"What happened?" Castin demanded softly, voice strained with guilt. "When?"
Kiernan shook his head, his face tight with self-reproach. "Must've caught shrapnel from that piece of tech the mech threw. A piece lodged deep, missed it in all the chaos." He looked up at Castin, eyes heavy. "It's small, but he's bleeding slow and steady. We need to stabilize him now."
"Damn it," Castin hissed, feeling the weight of another responsibility crushing his shoulders.
Matias came closer, eyes flickering with concern. "How bad is it?"
Kiernan grimaced, checking his supplies with practiced urgency. "Right now? Manageable, but he needs time and a stable place to rest. We move him again now, it'll only make things worse."
Garret coughed weakly, attempting to smile through his pain. "Don't look so glum, boys. I've had worse hangovers."
Vance forced a laugh, placing a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder. "Easy, big guy. Let the doc patch you up."
Castin exhaled sharply, exchanging a look with Matias. "Alright, Kiernan stays with Garret. We secure the area, make sure it's safe enough for them here. Then we—"
He hesitated, catching Matias' eyes, the lingering tension between them surfacing. Castin felt it clawing at him, unresolved.
Matias read the look instantly. "We need a moment," he said quietly, pulling Castin aside.
They stepped away from the others, voices low and strained with unspoken regrets. Castin felt a knot tighten in his chest, the words difficult but necessary.
"Look," Castin began awkwardly, "about earlier at the wall, what I said, we've become good friends i'd say and I regret treating you-"
Matias raised a paw, cutting him off gently. "No. You deserve more than the silence I've been giving you. There's a lot you don't know, and that's not fair. You've been fighting this war on our word alone, and for that I'm sorry. But," he paused, looking away briefly before meeting Castin's eyes again, his voice steadier, "he's still my king."
Castin's jaw tightened slightly, wrestling silently with his own feelings. The quiet moment stretched between them, heavy with all that still needed to be said. But before Castin could reply, an urgent shout erupted from behind them.
"Castin!" Kiernan's voice cut through the fragile stillness, sharp and tense. "We've got a problem!"
They both turned sharply, running back to the group as Vance was struggling to hold Garret down, his friend now groaning in sudden, violent pain.
"Easy, buddy," Vance pleaded. "Ya gotta calm down, Kiernan, help me!"
Garret was pale, sweating now, teeth gritted. "Hurts… damn, feels like my guts are on fire."
Kiernan was already working, hands moving swiftly and precisely, administering an injection and carefully peeling away Garret's vest. "We don't have a choice. I need space, now!"
The urgency tore at Castin. He backed away, feeling helpless, but Matias placed a firm hand on his shoulder, steadying him. "We have to trust him. Kiernan knows what he's doing."
Castin nodded reluctantly, heart hammering. The group stood helplessly aside, each second dragging on like an eternity, punctuated by Garret's labored breathing.
Minutes passed before Kiernan looked up again, face grave but steadier. "He's stable again, for now. But we're staying put. He's not moving anywhere."
Castin exhaled shakily, catching his breath. "Understood. We'll secure the area and come back for you."
Kiernan nodded tightly, already refocused on Garret.
Castin turned slowly, motioning the remaining team toward the door. "Let's move."
They made their way cautiously back toward the battlefield, weapons ready, nerves strained to their breaking point. The cavernous room echoed with emptiness, ominous in its quiet aftermath.
The twisted remains of Jennifer's mech lay exactly where they had last seen it, battered and crushed, a monument to desperate courage. Beside it, the third mech stood inert, its once-active lights dim and lifeless.
Vance whistled softly, shaking his head. "This thing didn't even take a hit. Just walked over and stopped? Seen weirder shit but not by much."
Castin climbed onto Jennifer's wrecked mech carefully, his breath catching sharply at the sight inside. "Blood," he muttered grimly, touching the dark, sticky smear inside the cockpit. "But no Naomi."
Lorne joined him, frowning deeply. "She got out somehow, or someone got her out."
Matias studied the scene, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully at the quiet mech beside them. "No one else here to do that but her."
Castin felt a chill crawl slowly up his spine. He turned sharply, following droplets of blood marking a path toward the main facility building.
"She's wounded," he said softly. "But she's moving."
Lorne exhaled quietly, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "Question is, where's she going?"
Matias followed Castin's gaze toward the looming structure at the heart of the compound, illuminated starkly by the distant floodlights. His voice held quiet resolve, steadying them all. "Whether she's with us or not, that was always where we needed to go."
Castin nodded slowly, absorbing the quiet weight of the moment. He straightened, determination hardening again in his chest.
"Then we'd better move fast," he said, voice firm and steady. "She's not going to wait for us."