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Vaz settled behind the gun and hung on as Os over every dip and boulder The heavy trailer didn’t help its handling at al

At three hundred meters, with a bit of help from his visor’s optics, Vaz could see ‘Telcam’s face Bastard Wel , at least he didn’t have to s to a bulanced over her shoulder at Vaz "Give hi his head off"

Vaz hadn’t quite worked out the line between Osman’s humor and her sarcasm yet It mattered "How much more, et aith the weapons" She was definitely serious now "That’s what matters Stoke the fire You hear that, Staff?"

Mal sounded a little reluctant on the radio, but the captain had spoken "Understood, ma’am"

Phil ips didn’t say a word Maybe he was used to taking risks with Elites now, but the utted Phil ips--and her--then Vaz and Mal had to hold fire, or at least not slot al the Elites

That was a lot to ask of him, and even more to ask of a civvie

Phillips volunteered Look at hi and started walking slowly toward ‘Telca anyway

She stopped Vaz tilted the gun slowly, e-heads so to think about When he checked Mal’s icon he found he was looking at the feed from the 99-D’s optics Mal had the crosshairs steady on ‘Telcam’s head

"He wouldn’t dare" Mal’s voice was just a breath in Vaz’s earpiece "He’s not in a rush to ods"

‘Telcaman in tow and wandered around the back to the trailer He didn’t seehtest notice of Vaz, but at least Osun slowly so that it was facing the trailer He couldn’t turn his back on ‘Telca in Covenant unifor co on his own blood

"I suppose you’l want to check out the consignrenades, and antipersonnel mines"

‘Telcam tilted his head back and forth as he surveyed the crates Then he gestured and his sidekick ripped the lid off one of the crates like paper

He reached in and pul ed out a plas exa that the Covenant was technological y invincible They weren’t, or at least ‘Telcam wasn’t He either didn’t know or didn’t care, just like Naoenerous, Captain" It was hard to tel if ‘Telcaal of you to retrieve Sangheili weapons I have adherents in many keeps, andif there’sspecific, I’l see what else I can do"

‘Telcam looked down his snout at her "You cannot procure warships foryou a carrier would be e for both of us"

"I shal distribute the arress we make"

"I’l be around"

"Yet we see no ship, Captain"

"Nor wil you This is stil hostile space in toointently, but then Vaz realized fro on his audio channel He was getting the intercepted voice traffic frolanced at Mal’s icon to check he stil had a shot on ‘Telca’s gun was at just the right angle to take out the Elite’s bagot a dawning realization look on her face "Do you real y need a ship?"

"Probably not," ‘Telca as he’s foolish enough to be visiting each state to put his case for peace

Once I kil hi wil be keep by keep Not the kind of battles fought by capital ships Unless an entire colony world decides to stand by hiave hi behind her eyes There was no such thing as a careless word from her, and ‘Telcam didn’t seem the kind to announce his plans just to be sociable

"Very wel , have your people transfer these crates, then" Osman obviously didn’t want him anywhere near Port Stanley, and they needed the trailer back High-tech wars often foundered on smal , dul detail "I’l havehi how ed fro back and forth until the trailer was cleared It felt like a shady drugs deal in a back al ey

‘Telcaave Osman a polite bow of the head and loped back to his ship

Osman waited for it to take off before she oing to warn the Arbiter," she said "Fine"

"Correct" Phil ips cliun "The chatter froaet his proof, so no harm done," she said "And I’l find out where the ar out of here"

"Want s"

Osun seat "Okay If it ine He wasn’t taking any notice of Mal’s HUD feed now, so he expected to be back in the dropship and off this rock in a few ht his peripheral vision and he stopped to check it out

"Jesus Christ, " Mal said "Where the hel did he co, rol ing viewpoint of so down a steep slope, and then the horizon bounced everywhere for a few"What is it, Mal?"

"Contact Human Wait one"

"What is it?" Os noise She was getting ready to fire "What’s he spotted?"

Vaz sla shot off "He’s seen a hulassed this place years ago"

Phil ips hung on to the dashboard with both hands as Vaz raced for the escarpe of the slope and Vaz got a clear view of the plain beyond, he saw Mal jogging toward a heap of rags aetation that had soain in the fissures