Part 10 (2/2)

”Course correction, sir?” Lieutenant Jaggers' voice broke with strain. His uniform was soaked with perspiration. ”Negative,” Commander Keyes replied. ”Continue on this heading. Arm all aft Archer missile pods.

Rotate launch arcs one eight zero degrees.”

”Aye, sir.” Lieutenant Hikowa wrinkled her brow, and then she slowly nodded and silently mouthed, ” . . . yes.” Boiling red plasma filled half the forward view screen. It was beautiful to watch in an odd way-like a front-row seat at a forest fire.

Keyes found himself strangely calm. This would either work or it would not. The odds were long, but he was confident that his actions were the only option to survive this encounter. Lieutenant Dominique turned. ”Collision with plasma in nineteen seconds, sir.” Jaggers turned from his station. ”Sir! This is suicide! Our armor can't withstand-” Keyes cut him off. ”Mister, man your station or I will have you removed from the bridge.” Jaggers looked pleadingly at Hikowa. ”We're going todie , Aki-” She refused to meet his gaze and turned back to her controls. ”You heard the Commander,” she said , Aki-” She refused to meet his gaze and turned back to her controls. ”You heard the Commander,” she said quietly. ”Man your post.” Jaggers sank into his seat.

”Collision with plasma in seven seconds,” Lieutenant Hall said. She bit her lower lip. ”Lieutenant Jaggers, transfer emergency thruster controls to my station.” ”Yes . . . yes, sir.” The emergency thrusters were tanks of trihydride tetrazine and hydrogen peroxide. When they mixed, they did so with explosive force-literally blasting theIroquois onto a new course. The s.h.i.+p had six such tanks strategically placed on hardened points on the hull. Commander Keyes consulted the countdown timer on his data pad. ”Lieutenant Hikowa: fire the nuke.” onto a new course. The s.h.i.+p had six such tanks strategically placed on hardened points on the hull. Commander Keyes consulted the countdown timer on his data pad. ”Lieutenant Hikowa: fire the nuke.”

”s.h.i.+va away, sir! On course-one eight zero, maximum burn.” Plasma filled the forescreen; the center of the red ma.s.s turned blue. Greens and yellows radiated outward, the light frequencies blue-s.h.i.+fting in spectra.

”Distance three hundred thousand kilometers,” Lieutenant Dominique said. ”Collision in two seconds.”

Commander Keyes waited a heartbeat then hit the emergency thrusters to port. A bang resonated through the s.h.i.+p's hull-Commander Keyes flew sideways and impacted with the bulkhead. The view screen was full of fire and the bridge was suddenly hot. Commander Keyes stood. He counted the beats of his pounding heart. One, two, three- If they had been hit by the plasma, there wouldn't be anything to count. They would be dead already. Only one view screen was working now, however. ”Aft camera,” he said. The twin blots of fire streaked along their trajectories for a moment, then lazily arced, continuing their pursuit of theIroquois . One pulled slightly ahead of its counterpart, so they appeared now like two . One pulled slightly ahead of its counterpart, so they appeared now like two blazing eyes. Commander Keyes marveled at the aliens' ability to direct that plasma from such a great distance. ”Good,” he murmured to himself. ”Chase us all the way to h.e.l.l, you b.a.s.t.a.r.ds.

”Track them,” he ordered Lieutenant Hall. ”Aye, sir,” she said. Her perfectly groomed hair was tousled. ”Plasma increasing velocity. Matching our speed . . . overtaking our velocity now. They will intercept in forty-three seconds.”

”Forward camera,” Commander Keyes ordered.

The view screen flashed: the image changed to show the two alien frigates turning to face the incomingIroquois head-on. Blue lights flickered along their hulls-pulse lasers charging. Commander Keyes pulled back the camera angle and saw the alien carrier and the destroyer were still head-on. Blue lights flickered along their hulls-pulse lasers charging. Commander Keyes pulled back the camera angle and saw the alien carrier and the destroyer were still inbound toward Sigma Octa.n.u.s IV. He read their position off his data pad and quickly performed the necessary calculations. ”Course correction,” he told Lieutenant Jaggers. ”Come about to heading zero zero four point two five. Declination zero zero zero point one eight.”

”Aye, sir,” Jaggers said. ”Zero zero four point two five. Declination zero zero zero point one eight.” The view screen turned and centered on the enormous Covenant destroyer. ”Collision course!” Lieutenant Hall announced. ”Impact with Covenant destroyer in eight seconds.” ”Stand by for new course correction: declination minus zero zero zero point one zero.” ”Aye, sir.” As Jaggers typed he wiped the sweat from his eyes and double-checked his numbers.

”Course online. Awaiting your order, sir.” ”Collision with Covenant destroyer in five seconds,” Hall said. She clutched the edge of her seat. The destroyer grew in the view screen: laser turrets and launch bays, bulbous alien protrusions and flickering blue lights.

”Hold this course,” Commander Keyes said. ”Sound collision alarm. Switch to undercarriage camera now.” Klaxons blared. The view screen snapped off and on and showed black s.p.a.ce-then a flash of the faint purple-blue hull of a Covenant s.h.i.+p.

TheIroquois screeched and shuddered as she grazed the prow of the Covenant destroyer. Silver s.h.i.+elds flickered onscreen-then the screen filled with static. ”Course correction now!” Commander Keyes shouted. screeched and shuddered as she grazed the prow of the Covenant destroyer. Silver s.h.i.+elds flickered onscreen-then the screen filled with static. ”Course correction now!” Commander Keyes shouted.

”Aye, sir.” There was a brief burn from the thrusters and theIroquois nudged down slightly. ”Hull breach!” Lieutenant Hall said. ”Sealing pressure doors.” ”Aft camera,” Commander Keyes said. ”Guns: Fire aft Archer missile pods!” ”Missiles away,” Lieutenant Hikowa replied. Keyes watched as the first of the plasma torpedoes that had been trailing the nudged down slightly. ”Hull breach!” Lieutenant Hall said. ”Sealing pressure doors.” ”Aft camera,” Commander Keyes said. ”Guns: Fire aft Archer missile pods!” ”Missiles away,” Lieutenant Hikowa replied. Keyes watched as the first of the plasma torpedoes that had been trailing theIroquois impacted on the impacted on the prow of the alien destroyer. The s.h.i.+p's s.h.i.+elds flared, flickered . . . and vanished. The second bolt hit a moment later. The hull of the alien s.h.i.+p blazed and then turned red-hot, melted, and boiled. Secondary explosions burst through the hull.

The Archer missiles streaked toward the wounded Covenant s.h.i.+p, tiny trails of exhaust stretching from theIroquois to the target. They slammed into the gaping wounds in the hull and detonated. Fire and debris burst from the destroyer. to the target. They slammed into the gaping wounds in the hull and detonated. Fire and debris burst from the destroyer.

A smile spread across Keyes' face as he watched the alien s.h.i.+p burn, list, and slowly plunge into Sigma Octa.n.u.s IV's gravity well. Without power, the Covenant vessel would burn up in the planet's atmosphere.

Commander Keyes flicked on the intercom. ”Brace for emergency thruster maneuver.”

He punched the thruster controls-explosive force detonated on the starboard side of the s.h.i.+p. TheIroquois nosed toward Sigma Octa.n.u.s IV. ”Course correction, Lieutenant Jaggers,” he said. ”Bring us into a tight orbit.” ”Aye, sir.” He furiously tapped in commands, diverting engine output through att.i.tude thrusters. The hull of the nosed toward Sigma Octa.n.u.s IV. ”Course correction, Lieutenant Jaggers,” he said. ”Bring us into a tight orbit.” ”Aye, sir.” He furiously tapped in commands, diverting engine output through att.i.tude thrusters. The hull of theIroquois glowed red as it entered the atmosphere. A cloud of yellow ionization built up glowed red as it entered the atmosphere. A cloud of yellow ionization built up around the view screen. Commander Keyes gripped the railing tighter. The view screen cleared and he could see the stars. TheIroquois entered the dark side of the planet. Commander Keyes slumped forward and started breathing again. entered the dark side of the planet. Commander Keyes slumped forward and started breathing again.

”Engine coolant failure, sir,” Lieutenant Hall said. ”Shut the engines down,” he ordered. ”Emergency vent.” ”Aye, sir. Venting fusion reactor plasma.” TheIroquois was abruptly quiet. No rumble of her engines. And no one said anything until Lieutenant was abruptly quiet. No rumble of her engines. And no one said anything until Lieutenant Hikowa stood and said, ”Sir, that was the most brilliant maneuver I have ever seen.” Commander Keyes gave a short laugh. ”You think so, Lieutenant?” If one of his students had proposed such a maneuver in his tactics cla.s.s, he would have given them a C+.

He would have told them their maneuver was full of bravado and daring . . . but extremely risky, placing the crew in the s.h.i.+p in unnecessary danger. ”This isn't over yet. Stay sharp,” he told them. ”Lieutenant Hikowa what is the charge status of the MAC guns?”

”Capacitors at ninety-five percent, sir, and draining at a rate of three percent per minute.” ”Ready MAC guns, one heavy round apiece. Arm all forward Archer missile pods.” ”Aye, sir.” TheIroquois broke free of the dark side of Sigma Octa.n.u.s IV. ”Fire chemical thrusters to break orbit, Lieutenant Hall.” ”Firing, aye.” There was a brief rumble. The screen centered on the backsides of the two Covenant frigates they had broke free of the dark side of Sigma Octa.n.u.s IV. ”Fire chemical thrusters to break orbit, Lieutenant Hall.” ”Firing, aye.” There was a brief rumble. The screen centered on the backsides of the two Covenant frigates they had pa.s.sed on the way in. The alien s.h.i.+ps started to come about; blue flashes flickered along their hulls as their laser turrets charged. Motes of red collected along their lateral lines. They were readying another salvo of plasma torpedoes. There was something there, however, that was too small to see on the view screen: the nuke. Keyes had launched that missile in the opposite direction-but its reverse thrust had not completely overcome their tremendous forward velocity.

As theIroquois had screamed over the prow of the destroyer, and as they orbited Sigma Octa.n.u.s IV, the nuke had drifted closer to the frigates . . . who had fixed their attention solidly on the had screamed over the prow of the destroyer, and as they orbited Sigma Octa.n.u.s IV, the nuke had drifted closer to the frigates . . . who had fixed their attention solidly on theIroquois . .

Commander Keyes tapped his data pad and sent the signal to detonate the bomb. There was a flash of white, a crackle of lightning, and the alien s.h.i.+ps vanished as a cloud of destruction enveloped them. Waves of the EMP interacted with the magnetic field of Sigma Octa.n.u.s IV-rippled with rainbow borealis. The cloud of vapor expanded and cooled, and faded to yellow, orange, red, then black dust that scattered into s.p.a.ce.

Both Covenant frigates, however, were still intact. Their s.h.i.+elds, however, flickered once . . . then went dead. ”Get me firing solutions for the MAC guns, Lieutenant Hikowa. On the double.” ”Aye, sir. MAC gun capacitors at ninety-three percent. Firing solution online.” ”Fire, Lieutenant Hikowa.” Two thumps resonated through the hull of theIroquois . ”Lock remaining Archer missile pods on targets and fire.” ”Missiles away, Commander.” . ”Lock remaining Archer missile pods on targets and fire.” ”Missiles away, Commander.”

Twin thunderbolts and hundreds of missiles streaked toward the two helpless frigates. The MAC rounds tore though them-one s.h.i.+p was holed from nose to tail; the other s.h.i.+p was. .h.i.t on her midline, right near the engines. Internal explosions chained up the length of the s.h.i.+p, bulging the second s.h.i.+p's hull along her length.

Archer missiles impacted seconds later, exploding through chunks of hull and armor, tearing the alien s.h.i.+ps apart. The frigate that had taken the MAC round in her engines mushroomed, a fireworks bouquet of shrapnel and sparks. The other s.h.i.+p burned, her internal skeletal structure showing now; she turned toward theIroquois but didn't fire a weapon . . . just drifted out of control. Dead in s.p.a.ce. but didn't fire a weapon . . . just drifted out of control. Dead in s.p.a.ce.

”Position of the Covenant carrier, Lieutenant Hall?” Lieutenant Hall paused, then reported, ”In polar orbit around Sigma Octa.n.u.s Four. But she's moving off at considerable speed. Headed out-system, course zero four five.”

”Alert theAllegiance and andGettysburg of her position.” of her position.”

Commander Keyes sighed and slumped back into his chair. They had stopped the Covenant s.h.i.+ps from gla.s.sing the planet-saved millions of lives. They had done the impossible: taken on four Covenant s.h.i.+ps and won.

Commander Keyes paused in his self-congratulation. Something was wrong. He had never seen the Covenant run. In every battle he had seen or read about, they stayed to slaughter every last survivor . . . or if they were defeated, they always fought to the last s.h.i.+p.

”Check the planet,” he told Lieutenant Hall. ”Look for anything-dropped weapons, strange transmissions. There's got to be something there.”

”Aye, sir.”

Keyes prayed she wouldn't find anything. At this point he was out of tricks. He couldn't turn theIroquois around and return to Sigma Octa.n.u.s IV even if he had wanted to. The around and return to Sigma Octa.n.u.s IV even if he had wanted to. TheIroquois ' engines were down for a long time. They were speeding on an out-system vector at a considerable velocity. And even if they could stop-there was no way to recharge the MAC guns, and no remaining Archer missiles. They were practically dead in s.p.a.ce. ' engines were down for a long time. They were speeding on an out-system vector at a considerable velocity. And even if they could stop-there was no way to recharge the MAC guns, and no remaining Archer missiles. They were practically dead in s.p.a.ce.

He pulled out his pipe and steadied his shaking hand.

”Sir!” Lieutenant Hall cried. ”Drops.h.i.+ps, sir. The alien carrier deployed thirty-correction: thirty-four- drops.h.i.+ps. I have silhouettes descending to the surface. They're on course for Cote d'Azur. A major population center.”

”An invasion,” Commander Keyes said. ”Get FLEETCOM ASAP. Time to send in the Marines.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

0600 Hours, July 18, 2552 (Military Calendar) / UNSCIroquois , military staging area in orbit around Sigma Octa.n.u.s IV , military staging area in orbit around Sigma Octa.n.u.s IV Commander Keyes had a sinking feeling that although he had won the battle, it would be the first of many to come in the Sigma Octa.n.u.s System.

He watched the four dozen other UNSC s.h.i.+ps...o...b..t the planet: frigates and destroyers, two carriers, and a ma.s.sive repair and refitting station-more vessels than Admiral Cole had at his disposal during his four-year-long campaign to save Harvest. Admiral Stanforth had pulled out all the stops.

Although Commander Keyes was grateful for the quick and overwhelming response, he wondered why the Admiral had dedicated so many s.h.i.+ps to the area. Sigma Octa.n.u.s wasn't strategically positioned. It had no special resources. True, the UNSC had standing orders to protect civilian lives, but the fleet was spread dangerously thin. Commander Keyes knew there were more valuable systems that needed protection.

He pushed these thoughts aside. He was sure Admiral Stanforth had his reasons. Meanwhile the repair and resupply of theIroquois was his top priority-he didn't want to get caught half ready if the Covenant returned. was his top priority-he didn't want to get caught half ready if the Covenant returned.

Or rather,when they returned. they returned.

It was a curious thing: the aliens dropping their ground forces and then retreating. That was not their usual mode of operation. Commander Keyes suspected this was just an opening move in a game he didn't yet understand.

A shadow crossed the fore camera of theIroquois as the repair station as the repair stationCradle maneuvered closer. maneuvered closer.Cradle was essentially a large square plate with engines. Large was an understatement; she was over a square kilometer. Three destroyers could be eclipsed by her shadow. The station running at full steam could refit six destroyers, three from her lower surface and three on her upper surface, within a matter of hours. was essentially a large square plate with engines. Large was an understatement; she was over a square kilometer. Three destroyers could be eclipsed by her shadow. The station running at full steam could refit six destroyers, three from her lower surface and three on her upper surface, within a matter of hours.

<script>