Chapter 8: Gunnery Sergeant Noah "Bulldog" Rhodes Noah moved through the spacecraft’s armory, checking and double-checking the emergency gear. His job wasn’t glamorous, but it was necessary—if things went south, he was the one making sure they had what they needed to survive. The locker doors hissed open as he ran a final inventory: emergency rations, medkits, oxygen tanks, portable repair kits, and EVA suits. Everything checked out, but that nagging instinct in the back of his mind wouldn’t let him relax. He had been on missions where the calm before the storm had lulled teams into false security—until an ambush, a systems failure, or a life support breach turned routine into chaos. Quiet meant nothing. Quiet was a trick the universe played before it struck. He had been on too many missions where ‘all clear’ turned into ‘all hell broke loose.’ "Bulldog, report on emergency systems," Adrienne’s voice came through the comms. "Running the final checks now, Cap...