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The Admiral squinted at the hole "We'll fit," he said "I have every confidence in you, Warrant Officer Nowto think us going down there is a good idea"

"Yes, sir!" Her eyes locked onto the hole "No problem, sir"

The Master Chief marveled at the Adns for unorthodox tactics and strategies, but his insight had been proven correct each tiher up the chain of command you received your orders, the more likely those orders would de-on," the Chief called back to his team

Polaski nosed the Covenant dropship over and plurav beam The instant they entered the field, the ship juh solid rock

Cut off froht above, the ship went dark The internal running lights glowed a faint blue

"We've got no room to maneuver in here," Polaski whispered

Lieutenant Haverson cliet in--assu this hole leads somewhere-- but it's the other part of your plan that's unclear What's our exit strategy, sir?"

The Ad- ured out You just shoot when I tell you to and keep it all puck- ered up tight Got it?"

Haverson clenched his jaw, looking extremely unsatisfied

"Yes, sir"

Polaski focused intently on the walls of the tunnel rushing toward her craft "Short-range sensors have a contact," she said

"It looks like the bottom of the shaft ETA sixty seconds at this speed"

The Adet hit heavy by whatever's down there You et Anton on point and see if he can't locate your Spartans I'round"

Before the Chief could reply, the Adrabbed an assault rifle and two HE pistols He clipped plasrenades to his belt

"Thirty seconds," Polaski called out She cut the engines, and the dropship coasted on the grav bea down there," she said "Is that sunlight?"

The dropship eed into a titanic rooalleries circuraphic sun and a dozenExcept for the hole drilled into the raphic projection was perfect

The Adathering of Covenant forces on the floor, near one edge of the great room "There," he said, and pointed "I make out about a hundred of them: a few Elites, Jackals,a cave-in and not ready for company yet Good

"Polaski, land us half a kilometer from 'e it up We don't want to leave our back door wide open"

"Aye, sir," Polaski replied

Aduard, son

Stay here and guard the ship with Polaski Sorry"

"Sir! Yes, sir," Li replied The Master Chief detected a hint of bitterness in the Spartan's voice for drahat he undoubtedly would think was soft duty

Their dropship eased lower until it was a meter above the blue tiles of the room; the side hatches opened The Chief jumped out first, followed by Anton, Lieutenant Haverson, and Locklear

Froeant Johnson, and Grace

The dropship ih in to be shielded frorowled He pointed at Grace and Locklear "You two, fire long-range weapons Everyone else, haul ass Take them out, people"

The Ad the dropship--their onlytoo close to the enemy They still had the element of surprise; the Covenant would have never anticipated an assault on the heart of their operation

But how long would this advantage last? How long before that cruiser blasted their dropship to atoerous eneun to a forty-five-degree angle into the air, and launched a round The alien weapon hissed and spat a glowing sphere of energy The blast arced over the half-kiloreen flash Grunts and Jackals flew through the air

Locklear fired two Jackhammer rockets, then dropped the spent launcher The pair of rockets connected with a cluster of Elites who had--until a second ago--been running the show

The twin explosion obscured that end of the roo clouds of dust, fire, and smoke

The Master Chief

Ahead there were silhouetted Grunts and Jackals in the dust clouds, screa that ," the Master Chief said "Move while they don't knohat's hit the into the tiled floor "Kelly's been this way," he reported over the COM

The Master Chief clicked on Red Team's COM frequency

"Kelly? Fred? Joshua? Spartans, acknowledge this signal"

Only static answered him

A hundred meters from the stunned Covenant work crew, a stray plasion deto- nated a few meters from the Master Chief He sent a spray of au- to to force the enemy to keep their heads down

Grace halted and fired the fuel rod gun again A second glow- ing burst of radioactive energy flashed overhead and detonated along the far wall

In the intense light, the Master Chief saw that a dozen Jackals had braced they shields to create a phalanx Behind them five Elites readied plasma rifles

"Down," he shouted, and dived to one side

Grace hit the floor and rolled away Plasma bolts sizzled over their heads, and the Master Chief's shields drained as a shot hit too close The barrage turned several of the blue tiles around hilass

"Grenades--up and over those shields, Spartans," Admiral Whitcorenades and hurled them from their prone positions They hit the far wall and dropped into the cluster of Elites and Jackals-- behind their shields There was a pair of blue flashes, and the enemy formation blew apart Jackals scattered and ran