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"What do you think they’l do with Halsey now, then?" she asked "I mean, she’s dead as far as the world’s concerned"
"Saves a fortune in pension contributions" Mal shrugged "Look, they can do anything they like with her But I bet they put her to work on this Forerunner tech They’l never stick her in front of a firing squad"
The world disappointed Vaz on a daily basis, but never more than now He realized that he was co when al his instincts said that it should have been on every news channel
That was how decent guys ended up doing evil things--ser ones until they’d covered the ful shaone too far to turn back
UNSC ICENI, SANGHELIOS SECTOR: FEBRUARY 2553
"Captain Osain"
From anyone else that would have sounded sarcastic, but Adracious patrician sincerity that was co Osman held out her hand and he clasped it in both of his, pressing it osky’s attack dog, then he did a very good job of hiding it
"Good to see you, too, Admiral," she said "Lethelp to ONI on Sangheili language and culture Just the man you want at your side when you deal with the Arbiter"
Hood shook Phil ips’s hand, se to you as it does to ht that if I ever reached these coordinates, then I’d have an entire task force behind helios"
"I certainly never expected to be visiting their homeworld courtesy of ONI, if at al , Admiral" Phil ips returned the slish anyway, but it never hurts to have a xenoanthropologist on hand"
Osman sized up Hood’s reaction and couldn’t quite work out if he was taking this at face value or if he was trying to work out Parangosky’s realhim an academic "Would you excuse us, Evan?" she said "I just want to brief the Ado"
Phil ips understood spook-speak wel enough by now to get the idea He had the grace to look slightly aard, which she noas al part of the act, and looked around for a seat in the air group’s crew roo Hood with her
"I’m out here for a reason, sir, and you need to be aware that plenty of Sangheili don’t want peace, just as many humans don’t" None of those points was a lie, at least not taken separately "I’m sure you’re aware that the Arbiter doesn’t speak for the whole planet"
Hood’s expression hardened just a fraction but he never lost his affability She kept in hter at heart, not an administrator
"I realize that, but if I don’t start with him, who do I start with?" he asked "And if one of them decided to assassinate me, however competent your team, there would be very little you could do to stop them"
"Like you say, sir, if I don’t start with that--where do I start?"
That forced a ss, Osh I’m damned sure that I haven’t been told about half of theards you Are we going to have an interesting working relationship?"
He wasn’t hitting on her He was asking her, in his elegant hether she was going to be as osky when she final y got the top job There was little love lost between ONI and Fleet
"We’re both on the same side, sir"
"We’ve just approved an extension for the ONI budget so Margaret can coiven the ti about We stil don’t require the approval of the UEG to assign budgets, but now everybody thinks the war’s over, there’s a certain amount of hearts and "
Osman was reassured that Hood was stil a realist, stilto talk to theosky Osman realized she stil had a lot to learn about the realities of ad
"It’s about preparedness," she said "Whatto be the only problem in the future? I assume you’ve been briefed about Venezia"
"Yes, I fear the colonies wil be a far bigger part of heili or the other aliens" Hood adjusted his col ar and picked so to the door That was usual y his signal that he wanted to take a different tack "In a way, I’o, then, Captain?"
Vaz was already in the shuttle when Oset up, but Hood
"Relax, Corporal"
"Yes, sir"
"Beloi, isn’t it?" Hood always checked the roster andpersonal to say to the men Osman noted that trick "Fifteenth Battalion"
"Yes, sir"
"How are you feeling now? Ful y fit?"
"I had to give upcareer, sir, but other than that, I feel fine"
Hood chuckled to hi war had stopped, they were stil taking risks entering Sangheili space Osman felt more anxious than she had for some time, but then she realized it wasn’t about the possibility of the Sangheili opening fire on the with an officer she respected and liked It was like vandalizing a war memorial For a moment, her mission seemed pointless and shameful