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"Get ar "Use the Prophets' own frequencies"

"Signal acquired," Y'gar said "Ready for fleetwide broadcast"

Voro spoke: "This is Ship Master Voro 'Mantakree of the Incorruptible to all loyal vessels in the Second Fleet of Hoeneous Clarity

"Brothers, weupon one another The holy relic is tainted We must burn the corruption before it takes us all

"Zasses," he ordered, "send coordinating target solutions to the fleet" Heportions of the Halo ring where dozens of Spirits were slipping away "We must stop them before they eting solutions sent"

The ned into a coherent fighting force: plasma arced from a hundred ships, and laser fire weaved lacy patterns on the dark of space

Under such a destructive salvo of co only debris and skeletal fraets," Voro said over FLEETCOM "Or the disease will spread"

His hands grasped the coolo pair Voro whispered, "Sweep the ship, continuous patrol, until I order otherwise Report any hull breach no ht be Flood infection"

The Xida Lekgolos nodded and they lu in anticipation

"Uruo," Voro said, "ready the self-destruct sequence Wenervously, but he set plasma coils to detonation mode

"All ready," he replied

"One of the destroyers near the ring is hailing the fleet," Y'a-gar said "Rapturous Arc "

Static crackled and over that a whisper; "This is Ship Master of the Rapturous Arc We are overwhelmed Do not allow thenal terminated

The Rapturous Arc moved, wheeled toward the stars, and then continued to turn toward the other three destroyers abeay shields shimmered, frequencies matched, and the Flood-infected ship released a swaret Burn those ships"

Voro then ordered Uruo, "Heat lines and target projector"

"Targeting solutions ready," Uruo announced

Voro could take no chance "Fire," he said

Plasy projectors fired from a dozen nearby ships and painted the two vessels The destroyers' shields collapsed--decks ine compartments--a wave of illues

"New targets," he told Uruo, indicating the other two destroyers near the ring

"Coordinate targeting solutions throughout the fleet

Uruo hesitated only asolutions sent, sir"

Those last two ships had been too close to their infected counterparts There was no le Flood-infected cell could escape

"Sir," Y'gar said, and stood straighter, "targeted destroyers have dissipated their shields"

Voro nodded, nearly overcome with the nobility of his brother Ship Masters

"Send the order fleetwide," he whispered "Fire all lines and lasers Discharge projectors"

Plasma lines heated, detached, and swarmed off the hull of the Incorruptible and the Second Fleet Energy projectors fired and peeled off the ships' ar hulls, and air vented, sending it into a tuh the holes, and igniting the vessels

"Another round," Voro commanded "Burn them to ashes"

More plasma impacted and the dooravity It would be their pyre

"Back the Incorruptible off," Voro ordered "Thirty thousand kiloolo pair "Report"

Paruto spoke: "No breaches detected All ship personal accounted for No taint exists"

Voro exhaled There ht Coates on an intercept course Their lateral lines are hot"

The crisis was not yet over but already they returned to the old hatreds Voro scrutinized the fleet and saw others turning and firing on ships they had only ht side by side with

"Make ready to transition to Slipspace," Voro ordered

"With respect, sir," Y'gar whispered "We are leaving the battle?"

"To stay here and fight until we are all dead is ed We will heed the summons of Imperial Admiral Xytan 'jar Wattinree We must warn them what has happened… the jiralhanae, the Flood"

"Slipspace ized," Zasses said He shook his head, confused "Anomalies detected in dimension YED-4, sir… cause undetermined"

"Can we safely transition?" Voro asked

"Unknown, sir"

Slipstream space di caused by the holy ring? There was no tiate They'd have to risk it

"Set course and execute transition," Voro told him "Salia system, outpost world Joyous Exultation"

The UNSC prowler Dusk hovered in the shadow zone of the fourth planet's e Co and heartbeat

Every screen showed the battle raging a the Covenant forces

Music froen played in his eddon… the end of the entire goddah-def capture mode," Lash said

Durruno double-checked her station "Confir said, "as ordered, capacitors charged, and all secure to enter Slipspace on vector tango"

Lash and Lieutenant Co the Covenant fleet destroy itself

"Whatever the hell is happening out there," Waters re asked, "what do you think is happening?"