Part 13 (2/2)

The Master Chief made sure his mission recorder had gotten that. This was a Covenant race never doc.u.mented before.

He rotated the fiber-optic cable to point down the opposite end of the street. There was more activity another block away.

He retracted the probe and moved Blue Team a block farther south. He signaled the team to hold position, then climbed up a short series of metal handholds until he was just below a manhole cover.

He cautiously sent the probe topside again, up through the manhole-cover vent.

There was a Jackal's hoof directly adjacent to the probe, blocking half of his field of vision. He turned the probe with excruciating slowness, and saw fifty more Jackals milling back and forth. They were concentrated around the building across the street. The building resembled pictures that Deja had shown him years ago-it looked like an Athenian temple, with white marble steps and Ionic columns. At the top of the steps were a pair of stationary guns. More bad news.

He pulled the probe back and consulted the map. The building was marked as the Cote d'Azur Museum of Natural History.

The Covenant had serious firepower here-the stationary guns had commanding fields of fire, making a frontal a.s.sault suicidal.Why would they protect a human structure? he wondered. Was it their headquarters? he wondered. Was it their headquarters?

The Master Chief signaled for Blue-Two. He pointed to the accessway that led under the building. He held up two fingers, pointed toward her eyes, and then down the pa.s.sage, and then slowly balled his hand into a fist.

Kelly proceeded very slowly down that pa.s.sage to scout it out.

The Master Chief checked the time. Red and Green Teams were due to report. He had James attach the ground-return transceiver to the pipes overhead.

”Green Team, come in.”

”Roger: Green Team Leader here, sir,”Linda whispered over the channel.”We've scouted the residential section.” There was a pause. There was a pause.”No survivors . . . just like Draco Three. We're too late.”

He understood. They'd seen it before. The Covenant didn't take prisoners. On Draco III, they had watched via satellite linkup as human survivors were herded together and ripped apart by ravenous Grunts and Jackals. By the time the Spartans had gotten there, there was no one left to rescue.

But the victims had been avenged.

”Green Team: stand by and prepare to fall back to the RV and secure the area,” he said.

”Standing by,”Linda said.

He switched to the Red Team COM channel: ”Red Team, report.”

Joshua's voice crackled over the link:”Red Leader, sir. We've got something for ONI. We've We'vespotted some new type of Covenant race. Little guys that float. They seem to be some sort of explorer or scientist type. They take things apart, then move on, like they're looking for something. They do not, repeat not, appear hostile. Advise that you do not engage. They raise a pretty loud alarm, Blue Lead.”

”You in trouble?” ”Dodged trouble, sir,” ”Dodged trouble, sir,”he said.”But there is one snag.” ”Snag.” The word was charged with meaning for the Spartans. Getting caught in an ambush or a ”Snag.” The word was charged with meaning for the Spartans. Getting caught in an ambush or a minefield, a teammate wounded, or aerial bombardments-those were all things they had trained for. Snags were things they didn't know how to handle. Complications that no one had planned for. ”Go ahead,” the Master Chief whispered.

”We have survivors. Twenty civilians hid in a cargo s.h.i.+p here. There are several wounded.”

The Master Chief mulled this over. It wasn't his choice to weigh the relative worth of a handful of civilian lives versus the possibility of taking out ten thousand Covenant troops with their nuke. His orders were specific on this point. They could not set up the nuke if there was civilian population at risk.

”New mission objective, Red Team Leader,” the Master Chief said. ”Get those civilians to the recovery point and evac them back to fleet.” He switched COM channels again, broadcasting to all the teams. ”Green Team Leader, you still online?”

A pause, then Linda spoke:”Roger.”

”Move to the docks and coordinate with Red Team-they have survivors we need to evac. Green Team leader has strategic control of this mission.” ”Understood,” ”Understood,”she said.”We're on our way.” ”Affirmative, sir,”Joshua said.”We'll get it done.” ”Blue Team out.” The Master Chief disconnected. It was going to be rough for Green and Red Teams. Those civilians would slow them down-and if they ”Blue Team out.” The Master Chief disconnected. It was going to be rough for Green and Red Teams. Those civilians would slow them down-and if they had to protect them from Covenant patrols, they'd all get noticed.

Blue-Two returned. She opened the COM link and reported in. ”There's access to the building-a ladder and a steel plate welded shut. We can burn through it.” The Master Chief opened up the team COM channel. ”We're going to a.s.sume that Red and Green Teams will remove the civilians from Cote d'Azur. We will proceed as planned.”

He paused, then turned to Blue-Two. ”Break out the nuke and arm it.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE.

2120 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 ”s.h.i.+p's status?” Captain Keyes said as he strode onto the bridge, b.u.t.toning his collar. He noticed that the repair stationCradle still obscured their port camera. ”And why aren't we clear of that station yet?” still obscured their port camera. ”And why aren't we clear of that station yet?”

”Sir, all hands are at battle stations,” Lieutenant Dominique replied. ”General quarters sounded. Tac data uploaded to your station.”

A tactical overview of theIroquois , neighboring vessels, and , neighboring vessels, andCradle popped onto Keyes' personal display screen. ”As you can see,” Lieutenant Dominique continued, ”we popped onto Keyes' personal display screen. ”As you can see,” Lieutenant Dominique continued, ”wedid clear the station, but they are moving on the same outbound vector we are. Admiral Stanforth wants them with the fleet.” clear the station, but they are moving on the same outbound vector we are. Admiral Stanforth wants them with the fleet.”

Captain Keyes took his place in his command chair-”the hot seat,” as it was more colloquially known- and reviewed the data. He nodded with satisfaction. ”Looks like the Admiral has something up his sleeve.” He turned to Lieutenant Hall. ”Engine status, Lieutenant?”

”Engines hot at fifty percent,” she reported. She straightened to her full height, nearly six feet, and looked Captain Keyes in the eye with something edging near defensiveness. ”Sir, the engines took a real beating in our last engagement. The repairs we've made are . . . well, the best we could do without a complete refit.”

”Understood, Lieutenant,” Keyes replied calmly. In truth, Keyes was concerned about the engines, too- but it would do no good to make Hall more uneasy than necessary. The last thing he needed now was to undermine her confidence.

”Gunnery officer?” Captain Keyes turned to Lieutenant Hikowa. The pet.i.te woman bore more resemblance to a porcelain doll than to a combat officer, but Keyes knew her delicate appearance was only skin deep. She had ice water for blood and nerves of steel.

”MAC guns charging,” Lieutenant Hikowa reported. ”Sixty-five percent and climbing at two percent per minute.”

Everything on theIroquois had slowed down to a crawl. Engine, weapons-even the unwieldy had slowed down to a crawl. Engine, weapons-even the unwieldyCradle kept pace with them. kept pace with them.

Captain Keyes sat up straighter. There was no time to spend on self-recriminations. He would have to do the best he could with what he had. There simply was no other alternative.

The lift doors popped open and a young man stepped on deck. He was tall and thin. His dark hair- longer than regulations permitted-had been slicked back. He was disarmingly handsome; Keyes noticed the female bridge crew pause to look the newcomer over before returning to their tasks. ”Ensign Lovell reporting for duty, Captain.” He snapped a sharp salute.

”Welcome aboard, Ensign Lovell.” Captain Keyes returned his salute, surprised that the unkempt officer could demonstrate such crisp adherence to military protocol. ”Man the navigation console, please.”

The bridge officers scrutinized the Ensign. It was highly unusual for such a low-ranking officer to pilot a capital s.h.i.+p. ”Sir?” Lovell wrinkled his forehead, confused. ”Has there been some mistake, sir?”

”Youare Ensign Michael Lovell? Recently posted on the Ensign Michael Lovell? Recently posted on theArchimedes Remote Sensor Outpost?” Remote Sensor Outpost?”

”Yes, sir. They pulled me off that duty so quick that I-”

”Then man your station, Ensign.”

”Yes, sir!”

Ensign Lovell sat at the navigation console, took a few seconds to acquaint himself with the controls- then reconfigured them more to his liking.

A slight smile tugged at the corner of Keyes' mouth. He knew that Lovell had more combat experience than any Lieutenant on the bridge, and was pleased that the Ensign adapted so quickly to unfamiliar surroundings.

”Show me the fleet's position and the relative location of the enemy, Ensign,” Keyes ordered.

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