Project ArkSek: Operations in Terra

The smell of dust, worn canvas, and oil was familiar in the back of the M1078 LMTV, claustrophobic maybe, but familiar. Sergeant First Class Jake Warren, of the 75th Ranger Regiment’s RRC Team A, sat across from Rosales, his helmet cocked to the side, radio cable neatly looped at his shoulder. His eyes, though obscured by NVG mounts, caught Rosales's.

“Jake,” SSG Mike Rosales murmured, his voice low, “you really think this is just recon prep?”

Warren rubbed the edge of his gloves, the silence of his squadmates a heavy presence in the truck. He didn't respond immediately. Outside, the Nevada desert wind slid in slow, deliberate gusts, brushing the dark sands in ghostlike whispers. The stars above cut through the black like frost on obsidian glass. He knew this wasn't just another training op.

“I’ve done joint before. This ain’t that,” he finally muttered, the words barely audible over the hum of the convoy. It was all too quiet, too precise. Too black-tier.