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Program the rest to detach and track any enemy ship on our approach"
Haverson nodded and settled into the ops station next to Polaski
Two crates and a duffel pushed through the open access tunnel to the Pelican Locklear e and sealed the hatch "That's it, Chief," he said "An HE Pistol, two extra MA5Bs, one M90 Close Assault Shotgun, and a crate or so of frag grenades About a dozen clips for the rifles--only a few shells for the shotgun, though"
The Chief took four grenades and a half dozen clips for his as- sault rifle He ejected his weapon's nearly spentclack
The Sergeant grabbed arenades
"Orbital exit burn in ten seconds," Polaski said
"Dog the rest of that," the Chief told Locklear "And brace yourself"
Locklear secured the collection of weapons and ordnance in a duffel bag, looped it around his neck, and then found a hand- hold Sergeant Johnson leaned against the cryopods The Master Chief grabbed the bulkhead
"Releasing Pelican," Polaski said There was a thump frorammed," Cortana said
"Moray mines attached and armed," Haverson added
Polaski said, "Exit burn in three two one Burn!"
The Longsword's engine roared to life, the hull creaked with stress, and everyone leaned against the acceleration
The Pelican pulled ahead, rounded the horizon of the sword fol- lowed, the light struck the surface of the ht and the Chief sawcraters and tiny puffs of dust as they impacted
Polaski snapped the display port ca for us," she cried "Evasiveto the flagsh--"
The flagship was close Too close It must have anticipated their orbital trajectory But it hadn't counted on theship would have been in a perfect perpendicular firing position
"Pelican noo hundred kilometers in the lead," Polaski said
The bulky craft drew fire from the cruisers Smoke trailed from its hull, and bits of the empty ship were vaporized
"Mines away," Haverson announced "Plugging coordinates and trajectories into NAV, Polaski Don't run the in"
"I hate this crap," Lockleareach other, fire so thick you could walk on it to the LZ, andon and wonder when I'reed Despite the ODST's foul disposition, he shared his uneasiness with space coeant Johnson added "Now shut up and let the lady drive" He removed a mission record unit from his pocket and inserted a chip The screen blanked; a rhythle tiny speaker
The Chief recognized the sound as "flip" music--a descen- dant of soe had peculiar tastes, to say the least
"Just shoot et it over with Don't torture me with that crap first"
"Suck it up, Marine This is a classic"
"So's a sword rolled and jinked port and starboard She sent the ship into a double barrel roll'to dodge a plasship
"Show-off," Cortanato the Covenant battlenet," Cortana announced over the ship COM "Accessing their weapons systems Stand by"
Ahead, the Pelican intercepted a second torpedo and burst into flaht as a cloud of sparkling ionized ship appeared on the forward viewscreen--no larger than a dinner plate
"No more time to play around," Polaski muttered She hit the afterburners and rocketed toward the flagship
The sudden acceleration sent the Chief and Sergeant Johnson bouncing to the aft of the Longsword Locklear still hung on to the frame, now nearly horizontal
"There is now insufficient distance to decelerate and ship launch bay," Cortana warned
"Really?" Polaski replied, irritated "No wonder they call you 'sed her cap lower over her eyes "I'll do the flying You concentrate on getting those weapons offline"
"They're launching fighters," Haverson warned On the viewscreen the Covenant flagship now filled half the display, and six Seraph fighters eot active signals fro the" Tiny puffs of fire overlapped the teardrop-shaped Seraph fighters as they exploded Haverson laughed "Bull's-eye!"
"Foreapons systems and shields are disabled,"
Cor-tana said
"The doors are open," Polaski murmured "We're invited in
It'd be daship filled the display
"Collision iot to his feet The Chief knew better and stayed where he was on the deck He grabbed on to the Ser- geant's leg
Polaski cut the engines and hit the rees With the ship now pointed back- ward, she pushed the throttle to ines thun- dered in full overload The hull strained against the sudden reverse deceleration
The Chief hung on to the floor with one hand; with the other he held on to the Sergeant and kept hied the viewscreen to a spilt view--fore and aft
Shetheir ap- proach to the launch bay opening Onscreen the s on!"
The engines whined and the ship slowed but it wasn't going to be enough
They entered the launch bay at three hundred ines washed over Grunt technicians as they vainly attempted to scramble out of the way
Their methane-filled atmosphere tanks popped like firecrackers