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If he could have accomplished this mission alone, he would have made everyone on Blue Team stay His team, however, knew the risks and knew the payoff for their sacrifice It was as good a final fate as any soldier could ask for

He marched to the other hatch on the dropship and boarded the craft There was one last detail to take care of with Lieu- tenant Haverson John eant Johnson who, ob- scured by a shower of sparks, welded the last supporting I-bea the automated rou- tines that Cortana had uploaded into the systeenerate the proper coded responses to Covenant queries They had also changed the dropship's registry tag so the Covenant would not recognize this ship as belonging to the now renegade Ascendant Justice

"Lieutenant," the Master Chief said "Forgive the interruption"

Haverson looked up and slicked the sweat-drenched hair from his face "What can I do for you, Chief?"

The Master Chief eased into the copilot's seat "Dr Halsey gaveto pass on to ONI Section Three: her analysis on the Flood"

Haverson's eyebrows shot up

He opened his belt compartmentand hesitated Which data crystal? The one only containing Dr Halsey's Flood analysis and possible inoculation? Or the one containing the source files for her conclusions, the one she said would kill Sergeant Johnson?

While John felt justified in ga his life and the lives of the other Spartans, that was his choice as their coeant

It was a biological fluke that had spared the Sergeant from the Flood A one-in-a-billion shot, the doctor had said But it was a billion-to-one shot that he could save billions of lives So the mathematics of the situation were al every person, no mat- ter what the cost?

No--John had sworn an oath to protect all of humanity His duty was clear He reached for the crystal containing the com- plete files and handed it to Lieutenant Haverson "She said it would help fight the Flood, sir I'm not exactly sure what she meant"

"We'll see, Chief Thank you" Haverson took the crystal and peered into his depths He shrugged "With Doctor Halsey, who can tell?"

The COM channel clicked, and Cortana announced, "Ten minutes until we reach the drop zone Make final preparations to launch Blue Teaer that, Cortana," the Chief replied "Spartans, on deck!"

Haverson tentatively extended his hand "I guess this is it, Chief"

The Chief gently shook the Lieutenant's hand "Good luck, sir"

John eant Johnson, as dragging the arc welder down the gangway

"Allow ram machine and lifted it with one hand

The Master Chief exited the dropship, and he and the other Spartans assembled outside He stowed the arc welder and took his position at the head of the Spartan formation

Admiral Whitcomb looked them over once and then said, "I'd wish you luck, Master Chief, but you Spartans seem to make your own luck So let me just say I'll see you all when this is over"

He saluted them and they returned the salute

"Just one last order," the Admiral said

"Sir?"

"Give'em hell"

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

0530 hours, September 13,2552 (revised date, Military Calendar)\Aboard captured Covenant dropship, in Slipspace

The dropship rolled, inverted, and spun out of control It tum- bled and pitched, and one of the I-beams solidly welded to the hull bucked and snapped

The Spartans of Blue Team were strapped to the hull in quick-release harnesses No one, however, gave any thought to the red quick-release button in the center of their chests They were all hanging on for their lives

The forwardfor theht inside the dropship caht sticks activated and tossed inside before they departed Those plastic sticks had cracked, and their lumi- nous contents had balled into a h the hydrostatic gel inside his MJOLNIR armor had been pressurized to its maxi shaken apart

This violent ride started when they had cleared Ascendant Justice's launch bay and entered the inky void of Slipspace This "nor like John had experienced before Without the s effect of Dr Halsey's alien crystal--this ride was a thousand times worse

Radiation levels spiked and dipped but so far the dosages getting into the lead-lined dropship were survivable

"Now I know," Linda said, "why only big ships travel through Slipspace"

"You know those SS probes?" Fred asked "They're almost solid Titaniuns: erratic but still within normal operational parameters Grace's heart skipped a beat or two, but then returned to a norns of internal bleeding yet, either It was also a good sign that Blue Team were reasonably calm about their dire situation The Chief kneas all they could do until they cleared the Slipspace field generated by Ascendant Justice

He ran a diagnostic on his MJOLNIR shields They still re- charged faster than they were drained by the ambient radiation that stormed invisibly around them He wished the real Cortana ith hi to distract hihts winked on, and four Spar- tans gave hinals

Fred chimed in, "This isn't so bad The last insertion I round before the dropship Now, that was a rough ride We were--"

The dropship lurched violently and cut off Fred's story

Cracks appeared along the armor welded to the port wall

Molten lead oozed fro, a jolt slaainst the front of his helh to make black stars explode in his eyes Another jolt slammed his head into the back of his helmet The inside of the dropship went entirely dark

"Chief? Chief?" Cortana's voice whispered through his hel- met speaker "Chief, respond please"

John's vision caishly pulsed on his heads-up display Beyond the display, it was cohts and pointed his head along the interior of the dropship