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―We couldn‘t have known there would be children," Eric said

―We have to do so we can do Look, we can try and fit a few of them where we can, but let‘s not throay our futures, what Felicia worked for"

The speaker in the cockpit crackled The attack ithdrawing Not just a single artifact, but several artifacts had been stolen fro site ODSTs were in full retreat with hundreds of Grunts in full pursuit

―They‘re able to track the artifacts somehow!" a hysterical private reported ―We split up into several groups, and all the Covenant are co after just us!"

No battle plan survived contact with the enemy

Eric shook his head ―There‘s not much we can do now We just poked the Covenant nest and it sounds like they‘re swar for the Pelicans to get them the hell out of the hot zone

I waved the sidearm at Eric ―Get out"

―What?"

―Get out I don‘t want to shoot you But I kno to help theet the hell out"

―Do you knoho you‘re dealing with? You know me But Teller, Amey, Charleston? They‘re

old school CMA Watts loyalists And they‘ve done it all We‘re not crossing theritted I smacked him in the head with the pistol butt three tied him to the back of the Pelican and rolled him off into the street

Charleston and Auns, but hadn‘t looked over and down

into the street

It had been another lifetih the night, but I remembered the controls she‘d shown me and seen it done a hundred times since

Standardized

I‘d stood in the back of the Pelican cockpits enough, too

That didn‘tto try next would work

I switched to an encrypted channel that the other pilots weren‘tand patched into the cruiser in orbit ― Chares, we have e caent We need Pelican backup, right away Three Pelicans took inco fire and are down, repeat down

Scramble immediately"

I tried to remember hat Stick, collective throttleall the buttons and switches in front of h like a second hoot it started

A as happening as the Pelican‘s engines gunned to life The craft lurched, clawing for air, pregnant with gold in the green-gray a, knocking down balconies and brickwork as I struggled to get the Pelican higher

I was tense, waiting for the ot on the radio to try and find out where the group with the artifacts was I‘d been ure out how I could buy time for the children

A small idea had occurred to me

I CLUMSILYlanded the Pelican heavily and aardly in the middle of the chaos that was the

ODST retreat back up the river toward the city

The first ODST who clambered in looked around ―There‘s no space!" he shouted

I leaned back ―Where are the artifacts? Get theet them clear and back up to orbit"

He left and shouted, and soon a set of boxes were being taken off the back of a oose quad bike and loaded in

―What about the Shiva?" he asked

―The nuke?"

―We didn‘t need to set it off, but we‘re not sure where we should leave it if they‘re co after us"

I nodded ―Stick it in here, I‘ll save you fro it about"

―Yes, sir Be careful up there, there‘ll be Covenant aircraft support on the way now that they were attacked" The ODST trooped up toward the cockpit ―You sure we can‘t just shove this auys back out?"

He leaned forward, and then looked at the blood on my armor ―Sir, you‘re shot?"

Then he frowned ―I need to check" But he stopped when I pushed the M6 against his neck

―There are thirty or so kids in the bottom of the bank in the middle of the city," I rasped ―If I take whatever‘s in those boxes the Covenant‘s so hot for and are tracking, I can make a run for it, away from the city The Covenant forces will chase uys so?"

The ODST nodded, and as he backed slowly out, I pointed at the ammo crates ―Open it"

He did so, and his jaw dropped ―Now shove that out the back onto the ground Take a bar each, and next tienny"

The led back into the air

I couldn‘t see any Covenant forces, but I didn‘t understand half of what the readouts were I was looking at I banked left, skirting the river only for a few oal was to get over them, but the Pelican could barely cli just ahead ofthat the artifacts were too precious for the Covenant to risk blowing me up

Rockets slammed into the Banshee froan to fall, another rocket slammed into the rear of the Pelican Charleston, A to hit the Banshee

The craft bucked and spiraled as I struggled to control it, but with all the gold and my own ineptitude, I could barely keep it in the air

I flew as long as I could, but the Pelican was shaking herself apart

I re I re the

e, because I hit the top of it and bounced

And then it was like the bo, and I woke up on the ground,

THE ROOKhad sat next to the ODST, scanning the horizon for threats, listening to his tale Any atte man

But now he understood, at least, why he‘d been sent doith a second wave of ODSTs by

SOEIV, and why extra Pelicans were on their way

It was all due to thisto die here

The sound of an approaching Pelican began to rise in volu you here, talking," Gage said ―Not just to co self They‘re almost here The Covenant, and Eric with his friends I‘ to want to salvage the gold they can from the wreck What I want you to do is head up thebut coh the cut there in fifteen et on the other side of theIn fact, hide from it as best you can I had you here because if you‘d taken off up the mountain, the Covenant would have seen you from the other side

But the Grunts are on cannedtheir way over the et close to this wreck So head up the pass and over the mountain, and run like you ran in boot caht behind you"

―Sir, I can‘t just leave you"

―They‘re all going to arrive, rook, and I‘ to blow the Shiva up the e held up a control pad that would let him wirelessly detonate the nuclear device

―Years ago, I told my father it was ‗just dirt‘ But it‘s not dirt It‘s where we live It our dirt, dammit