The Ashes of Reach

1.

She looked back for a moment, only a split second, only to see her friend on the ground, surrounded by elites, fighting until the very end. She didn't see what happened to him, turning her head back to see the Pelican through the dusty cloud of sand in front of her as she does what she's told to do. Run. Run and leave her friend behind. Run and leave her planet behind. Despite everything that's happened, she still tries to stay positive for herself, like she did for her team. Maybe 6 can fight them off, maybe he'll find his own way off the planet and they'll reunite, though deep down she knew that it's the end for him, she tried to refuse to believe such a fact.

She knew it was going to be hell getting off of the planet, let alone far enough away from the covenant fleet. But she kept pressing forward, determined to make her friend's death not in vain. She soon made it to the Pelican, seeming to be in good shape, lucky for her the Covenant haven't done anything to it. She quickly jumped into the pilot sat, turned it on, and as quick as she can, she blasted herself up and into space. Though barley able to control it at first from the harsh speed, she kept pressing forward, not allowing any of the phantoms to get any shots on her ship. She was familiar flying these, from training and from fleeing New Harmony, so she knew some maneuvers. Though she didn't have to do much dodging, the aliens were too celebrating or something, at least that's what Noble 7 thought to herself, as being surprised herself about the lack of gunfire to her ship, but she didn't care. She had to press on. She just had to.

Making it into space, she turned down the thrusters, though now she was panicked. One of them is bound to notice right? I mean, how can a whole covenant fleet not notice her, or even the ones in the planet could've called her out. The panicking made her start to flip through the scanners and bring the intensity back up on the thrusters. Nothing showing up, besides passing fleets that only show for a couple seconds. She kept going, going for what felt like an eternity until Reach was a huge distance away, she felt safer. She turned down the thrusters and finally relaxed in her chair. Well, she was anything but relaxed.

With the time to breathe, her adrenaline finally went away, then she felt the pain. The grenade blast that knocked her off her feet hurt her, just the adrenaline made her not feel anything. Her leg seeming to have the worst case, but she tried to shake it off. Until her AI, the AI that she personally made for her and her best friend, simply named Jesus, spoke up, saying "Noble 7, damage to your right leg and your pelvis has been detected. Please seek medical help." Noble 7, her voice starting to shake would say "Y-Yeah yeah... Jesus please send... the d-direction towards Earth." And with that she did, she told her which way to go and Noble 7 immediately started to make her way there

That is when the thoughts came, her whole team, her sister. Dead. Just like that. With little time to say goodbye. She was alone, and for the first time in a while, she was petrified, and no longer the once positive woman that Noble team knew her for. She grabbed her head, still covered by her helmet, her body started to shake, she couldn't get the thoughts out of her head, and she saw everyone she lost in her vision.

I'm going to die, she thought. The Covenant is going to find her, stick an energy sword through her stomach, shoot her in the head, be entertained as she fights or begs for her life. She couldn't take the thoughts anymore and she hit her helmet with both hands, trying to get the thoughts away, and eventually it worked. She then dropped her head and sobbed, wishing all her friends were back, wishing she could've done something differently and saved them all, wishing they could be pushing the Covenant out of their last attempt of invasion.

After a trip which felt like another eternity, she made her way back into earth, making sure the whole time she wasn't being followed. As she made her way to the military base, she started to grow dizzy, the thoughts hitting her like a train once again. She managed to land in a safe spot and stood up as she opened the back doors, two USNC members quickly run on board "A spartan? Are you okay?" One of them asks, but she didn't respond and only limped her way out of the ship, the light headedness getting worse and worse. As she looked up at the morning sky, she soon crashed to the ground and all she saw before going out of consciousness, was Noble 6 running up to her to help her up, though she could've sworn she saw him.