Jane-B317 was considered lucky.

Pulled out of Beta Company before Operation: TORPEDO, avoiding an almost certain obliteration. In turn, she was handed over to ONI for their testing.

It should be concerning that she didn't remember most of it, right?

The MJOLNIR was nice, at least. Fancy helmet given to her for testing and all. And the small, mint green lady named Sarah. Getting that implant sucked.

Is someone yelling at her? Weird.

Sarah's nice. She likes to learn all she can about the Covenant. Even if it means potentially endangering Jane.

It’s easy to forgive her. Sarah’s nice. Jane’s lucky to have her.

Where was she? Right. Herself. Spartan.

Spartan…

Would Jane’s parents be proud of her? Surely, they would.

Their daughter, in shining– Well, grimy, scuffed armor.

What were they like? She needs their picture again. In her bunk– No, under the datapad on her arm.

She’s lucky she kept it.

Her head tilts down to look for it. Her gaze stops on the skyline, visible through several fractures in her visor.

Skyscrapers. Corvettes in the sky. Smoke, fire, burning.

Right. New Alexandria. Covenant invading Reach. Almost a week of fighting. Ignoring the evac order.

She needs to get up, keep going. She looks down again.

She’s sitting against a wall, and the cement is cracked around her.

Jane’s lucky she hadn’t gone straight through. Harbor on the other side.

Her face is burning. Why is her face burning?

Right. Visor broken. Helmet damaged. Systems sparking.

A shadow looms over Jane’s vision.

A Brute—Chieftain, a briefing and Sarah’s knowledge supplied—heavily armored and wielding a mighty hammer.

Jane registers an ache in her chest and it doesn’t take a Spartan to figure out why.

Who’s yelling at her?

A cruel grin etches across the Brute’s face as it raises its hammer.

It’s funny, Jane thinks, as the bladed side gleams down at her.

She doesn’t feel lucky as the hammer strikes true.

_{Written February 19, 2023; Art Links to Source}