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"I think those spheres are steering solutions," Linda said "They indicate how far they can direct the plasma blots They have us"

"Back us off," Fred told Will

"Okay…" Will searched the controls He grabbed an orange arrow and twisted it aft

"Answering full reverse," he said

"It won't be enough," Linda said

Linda placed both hands on her controls, and a new pair of spheres appeared in the field of stars "That's our firing solution," she whispered, and her voice cooled to that detached liquid-nitrogen temperature that Fred had come to identify with her Zen no-mind state

Fred consulted his console "Thirteen seconds until plases of his console

"Slipspace vector calculated," Will said, "Capacitors charging… in twenty-three seconds"

Linda ers forward "Plashts diram showed Bloodied Spirit as its lateral lines flared and plasma detached and accelerated away, but not toward the ene plas spheres appeared on Linda's plasma lines Her hands twisted and turned

The plasma oscillated back and forth in response

The enemy lines started toto do: fight fire with fire But at these velocities hitting one plas a bullet out of the air

Linda's trancelike motions slowed

The plasma bolts raced toward one another The eneether in a blur--both of Bloodied Spirit's bolts spiraled about the enehter and faster, and connected

Three lines smeared into a blob and jets erupted across the dark of space, fading to a haze of red

"Got it," Linda whispered

"The other bolt still tracking," Will said "Impact in two seconds"

"Shields?" Fred asked

"Working," Will said "No--they're down"

The holographic viewers spilled blazing red light onto the bridge

Beneath the deck, the ship shuddered

"Power loss across all syste fro to reroute"

"Jump now," Fred ordered "Before we lose more power"

Underpowered Slipspace transitions were technically possible Over the last thirty years UNSC ships had attempted such a … into atoy had a work-around for that problem

"Aye aye," Will said He tapped a control

The enemy ships and stars vanished from the viewer

The Spartans stood silent; Fred held his breath, unsure if they'd explode

The vieent completely dark It was silent

Slipspace parameters then streamed across Will's console

"We made it," Will breathed

Fred exhaled "Good job," he told theh the undeniable logic of what had just happened

"What is it?" Linda asked

"We were in Slipstreanal from a ship in combat in normal space"

Linda nodded and one of her hands nervously flexed

"So?" Will asked "The Covenant can send signals in Slipspace So can we"

"But not hsten to those signals in normal space," Linda said

"They could have heard Cortana's e and Dr Halsey's," Fred told the"

Ship Master Voro clutched the rail of his command platforht zero by zero zero zero Divert engine and shield power to the forward energy projector"

"Answering new course," Zasses said

The Incorruptible spun about--its momentum continued to carry it forward--but now they faced the pursuing frigate pair

Uruo at his Operation station called out, "Projector hot, sir Target solution ready"

"On my word"

Voro hesitated and listened to three beats of his hearts--one for faith, one for family, and the last for honor--the ritual ate fired lasers

"Ared," Y'gar announced with utter calm

"Stand by," Voro said

He felt his junior officers' eyes upon hione mad

"Let them come closer for the kill," Voro said "We have but one shot Wait… Wait…"

Both frigates, the Twilight Coes of the holographic viewers, their lateral lines powering

A single, nory-projector shot could not by itself destroy a Covenant ship of war

It would obliterate shields, but it had to be followed by a plase or disable

This was a tactic neutralized by the skillful ate pair They would shift to take alternate plasy shield They could then combine firepower If they made no mistakes, they were more than a match for the Incorruptible

This was the standard Covenant tactical thinking Recent events, however, had shaken what Voro had considered "standard" behavior This would be a ga option

"Now," Voro spat "Fire!"

The overcharged energy projector sent a shudder through the Incorruptible

All their power--shields, engines, Slipspace capacitor reserves--channeled into a single burst from the projector

The darkness of interstellar space parted

The shields of the Revenant boiled and popped The hull peeled away, bubbling, as the beaate was cut in half diagonally, ventral fore to dorsal aft--until it severed the starboard plas her surface and reached the main coils The ship's aft section detonated and hersmoke

"All weapons systems inactive," Uruo reported, as he stared at the destruction

"No power to maneuver," Zasses said nervously "Thrusters on standby"