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"Hailing"

Governor Jiles appeared on forward screen number one "Ad- miral," he said with a nervous smile "I just saw my ship leave the launch bay Perhaps you can explain why you co but good faith in this--"

"Hold on to your shirttail, Governor," Ad out who took your ship and what precisely is going on Cortana, any response to our hail?"

"An automated code, sir," she said Her mouth opened in as-tonishment "UNSC Code Three-Nine-Two"

"Three-Nine-Two?" the Ad to recall the obscure code

The Master Chief cleared his throat and told him, "Admiral, that is an official 'nonresponse' code, sir Special Warfare teaher-priority mission"

"God daround his teeth "You o to hell"

On the forward screen the Chiroptera, its batlike wings nearly invisible against the black of space, accelerated in a sudden burst

Pinpoints of light appeared around the craft that elongated and smeared The ship vanished

"A Slipspace transition," Cortana said

"I thought you toldon Haverson, "that that ship was locked down That vital compo- nents were removed when it was decommissioned That there was no way it could make a Slipspace jump?"

"Yes, sir, I did"

"And would you care to explain why that ship just disap- peared, Lieutenant?"

"Yes, Ad the Admiral's eyes "Doctor Halsey apparently found a way to circumvent the ONI lockout on the ship's systems"

On screen, Jiles said, "This is most unfortunate, Admiral I expect to be compensated1--"

"You bet it's unfortunate," Admiral Whitcomb said "If I'd known there was a chance we could have used that ship to juo Cortana, as her trajectory?"

"Not Earth," Cortana said "Doctor Halsey's course points to no known system in my database"

The Admiral scrutinized the forward screen: Jiles's face, the empty star field, and the frozen video of Dr Halsey and Locklear in the launch bay "I want Corporal Locklear on the bridge ten o Lieutenant Haverson, have Cortana locate him

Then I want you personally to escort that ODST up here"

Haverson sed "Yes, sir" He marched to the elevator, and Cortana told hie He's not answering ineering console," the Admiral said

"Cover the NAV station, too"

"Yes, sir" Hestation's o on the shakedown cycle of the reactors and engines

"Contact," Cortana said "Bearing zero-three-zero on the solar plane One--correction, two--Covenant cruisers They're notMaybe they haven't spotted us"

"It never rains when it can monsoon," the Admiral declared

"They can't help but see us, Cortana, with all the radio chatter, ships, and leaking radiation I bet they're just figuring out how best to kill us"

Governor Jiles turned to soiven this new develop and out of harm's way"

"Of course, Governor Do what you have to"

The number three screen snapped off, and the stars reappeared

"And I'll do what I have to, too," Adine shakedown"

"Sir? There are risks--"

"I want them online now Don't tell me what the risks are Just doit"

"Yes, sir," she said

"Master Chief, get this crate ready to move and stay on your toes We'll need every trick in the book to outmaneuver two cruisers"

"Affirmative, Admiral" The Chief observed the shakedown cycle halt and Ascendant Justice's reactors restart Radiation indicators redlined, and then dropped to a hairbreadthwhich was technically considered safe The Gettysburg's engines shuddered to life The Chief felt the vibration though the deck half a kilometer away "Reactors are hot, sir," he reported

The Adle ships and tech- nicians in jet packs abandoned the Gettysburg, swar across the dark of space back to the safety of their asteroid "Rats leaving a sinking ship?" he wondered aloud

The Master Chief wasn't sure if that was a question directed at him, but he decided to reply anyway "They're just men ant to live, sir"

The Ad," Cortana announced "Bearing on a vector otrtsysteet this tubus up to half maxi one half forward" The radiation warning on Ascendant Justice's reactor flickered, but stabilized and subsided

The coroaned as their recently repaired superstructures overcame their inertia

"Heat up our plasma turrets, Cortana"

"Aye s--" Her translucent lavender hologram faded to ice blue

"Sir, additional contacts at systee Three No--additional transitions frohteen--now thirty Covenant ships of various classes Positions zero-three-zero

Zero-nine-one, one-eight-zero Sir, they have us enveloped"

The star chart vanished in a wink, and a les representing Covenant ships now encircling the perimeter The map turned to a side profile and revealed half a dozen additional ships scattered along the nadir and zenith of the system

Admiral Whitcomb stared at the map and shook his head