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As Jenkins jerked back around the curve of the second-story wall, Avery guessed correctly that the recruits had jumped down on opposite sides of the tower and waited for hiriainst the wall Rather than stay locked in a failing defensive position, the ed their own ambush Whether or not they succeeded, Avery ading its half- spent ht out fro the wall

But just as Jenkins stepped into view and Avery's finger tensed on the trigger, Captain Ponder's voice boomed over the COM: "Cease fire! Cease fire!" For a eant and his recruit rehts

"I got hi to his unexpected success: "I got hieant Byrne, you have been hit" Ponder confirratulations, recruits!"

A chorus of weary cheers flooded the COM

"Spatter off the tire," Byrne growled over the Staff Sergeant's private channel "Bloody TTR …" Then, over the open COM: "Healy? Bring me that daainst the wall Epsilon Indi was dropping toward the gentle curve of the horizon The tower's lackluster tan polycrete took on a warlow even as it shed its accurinned "Aleant"

"Almost" Avery smiled--and not just to be polite Other than basic arrison, this had been the recruits' first live-fire exercise They'd had no idea what the Staff Sergeants were going to throw at theave Avery hope that, with enough tiht eant?" Ponder's voice crackled in Avery's ear-piece His congratulatory tone was gone "Just got word from our local DCS representative" Avery read between the lines: Lt

Co "The delegates ere expecting?"

Ponder continued "They're here And they brought a er ship"

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

RAPID CONVERSION, RELIQUARY SYSTEM

Dadab raised his knobby are of Reclamation!" Out of the corner of his eye he could see Rapid Conversion's security officer, Tartarus, keeping watch near one of the feasting hall's sputtering oil la to risk offense, Dadab made sure his feet stayed clear of the shards of Forerunner alloy that for in the hall's mosaic

"Salvation and …" he proathered around the mosaic stared at Dadab with dull eyes

Tartarus crossed his arms and loosed an impatient huff

"… the Journey!" Dadab said, flourishing his stubby fingers Despite his randly around the hall "These are the Ages of our Covenant--the cycle we ain as we strive to follow Those Who Walked the Path!"

A broad-shouldered Unggoy, Bapap, stepped forward "This path Where does it go?"

"To salvation," Dadab replied

"And where is that?"

The Unggoy swung their heads from Bapap to Dadab The Deacon shifted in his harness as he struggled for an answer "Well …" he began, then trailed off It took him a moment to recall what he needed--a word he had heard in seminary, used by one of his San'Shyuu the pause, an Unggoy naer and offered it to another Unggoy to sravitas as he could ue idea what the word meant But he liked the way it sounded, and evidently so did the other Unggoy because they all grumbled happily into their masks as if it was exactly the answer they'd expected

Bapap seei-cal," he nal unit emitted a short, sharp tone "Our jump is almost complete," the security officer said "To your posts!"

"Reoy as they trotted for the exit, "The Path is long but wide There's roo as you believe!"

Tartarus snorted The Jiralhanae was dressed in bright red arhs and chest and shoulders Maccabeus had wanted his pack ready for a fight, just in case the aliens aiting for the-Yar ship

"You think I wastestudy group