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"We'd been working on a new bomb, called the Nova It was a cluster of nukes, each with a lithius, in theory, when they detonate, not onlylike you expect a nuke to--but they also force their tritiu superheated and pressurized center" He made a fist and slammed it into his other palrin spread across his face

"Planet killers We had planned to use these things in space battles to level the playing field"

His grin faded and he stroked his s didn't quite turn out as planned, and we got caught flat-footed with those Novas on the ground So I decided to repurpose them"

Lieutenant Haverson's face wrinkled with confusion He didn't dare interrupt, but the Admiral saw his expression and said, "Think, son All that ordnance around with plenty of Covenant to blow up"

Haverson shook his head "I'ence officer, huh?" Whitcomb snorted and turned to the Master Chief "What would you have done?"

"Arm them, sir," the Master Chief replied "Activate the fail-safe ta detonators and start a countdown tiave it only ten days There's no need to give them too much time to tinker"

He set one of his heavy hands on Lieutenant Haverson's shoulder, and Haverson flinched "They are two possible out- comes to this plan, Lieutenant Either the Covenant pack up the Novas and take them home for study--a possibility I pray to God happens A bomb like that would crack their home world in half Or the bombs stay here--and they'll stop the Covenant on Reach"

"I see, sir," Lieutenant Haverson replied in a whisper, then glanced at his watch "This was how o?"

"Got plenty of time left," the Admiral told him "Around twenty hours"

Lieutenant Haverson sed

"There's just one snag in that plan, though" The Adaze settled onto the dirt floor of the cavern "I had a teaot wiped out before we could get to those No- vas" He sighed "Brave kids A daood men

That's when I picked up Red Team on coded COM I 'convinced' theot to the Novas, arht kinds of hell down here with hit-and-run exercises--just to keep everyone busy, you understand Wouldn't want to get bored"

"And the rest of Red Team, sir?" the Master Chief asked

Whitcoot one last trans back" He walked to the table, unrolled an old paper topological map, and pointed at Menachite Mountain "Here Where ONI had their CASTLE base" He paused "But the Covenant are tearing that mountain apart, rock by rock I want to believe they're still therebut we've counted at least a dozen companies Those Covenant have air support, close orbit patrols, and, on the ground, armor The place is a fortress Could anyone survive?"

The Master Chief scrutinized the lines on the round," he said "The CASTLE facility We did a lot of training there The Covenant can fill up those tunnels with only so many search parties"

"Then you think they all have a chance?"

"Yes, sir More than a chance I'd guarantee they're in there

That's where I'd be"

The Adertip on the representation of Mena- chite Mountain, tapped it twice, thinking, and then suddenly looked up "You got into this canyon in a captured Covenant ship, right? A dropship?"

"Yes, sir" John hadn't told him that Despite his brusque et them, son"

"Sir!" Lieutenant Haverson said "With all due respect, sir, our first priority should be to get back to Earth The intelligence we've gathered on the Halo construct, the technology aboard the flagship we've capturedCortana's Slipspace calculations alone could turn the tide of this war for us"

"I know all that," the Admiral replied tersely "And you're three hundred percent correct, Lieutenant But"--he tapped the le man or woman behind on this planet for the Covenant to tear apart for sport No way And that goes double for a Spartan We're going in"

CHAPTER TWENTY

TIME:DATE RECORD ANOMALY\Estimated 0610 hours, September 23,2552 (Military Calendar)\ Aboard captured Covenant dropship, Epsilon Eridani system, en route to surface of Reach

Polaski accelerated the captured dropship to its maximum velocity--just under Mach 1 The craft arced up and joined the long convoy of Covenant ships--troop transports, scavenger drones, and Seraph fighters--as they descended froher orbit down to the surface The forht toward Menachite Mountain

Covenant communiques scrolled across a screen next to the pilot's seat and then ceased

"Incouess they don't like strays," Polaski raphy

"They're not shooting," the Ad the back of Polaski's seat "We're fine Just fly, Warrant Officer" He turned to the Master Chief "Get 'em ready, son"

The Chief nodded and moved aft to the rest of the squad His three Spartans as well as Lieutenant Haverson, Locklear, and Sergeant Johnson stood over an array of weapons laid out on the deck Anton ticked off the inventory: "Shotguns, a fuel rod gun, Jackhammer rocket launchers, plasrenade--take your pick"

The Chief picked up five clips of arenades, and a shotgun for close work

Nothing fancy--he wanted to keep it simple so he could keep one eye on the rest of his tea fro its fuel casing

Grace relieved him of the too-heavy weapon and shouldered it with ease

"Make sure you get a handgun," the Chief told Locklear

"We'll be in close quarters underground"

"Roger that," Locklear said

"We're close," the Admiral called out

The Master Chief moved up to the cockpit to watch The line of dropships and drones maneuvered toward a pile of truck-sized stones that had been carved fro hole, ten kilometers across, sat where Menachite Mountain had once risen laciers

It was only a strip le shaft drilled down its center A Covenant cruiser hovered over the shaft, and the purple glow of a grav lift knifed into the hole

"That's our LZ," Whitcoht down--but ease up a tad on the engines and let their grav beam do the work It'll take us all the way down to whatever's at the bottom"

"With respect, Admiral," Polaski said, "I'm not sure we'll fit"