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CHAPTER ELEVEN

0600 Hours, November 2, 2525 (Military Calendar) / Epsilon Eridani System, Reach UNSC

Military Complex, planet Reach

John wondered who had died The Spartans had been called to muster in their dress uniforms only once before: funeral detail

The Purple Heart awarded to hilistened on his chest He ainst the black wool of his dress jacket Occasionally John would look at it, and make sure it was still there

He sat in the third row of the amphitheater and faced the center platfors of risers Spotlights flicked on the e chamber before This is where Dr Halsey had told the to be soldiers This is where his life had changed and he had been given a purpose

Chief Mendez entered the room and marched to the center platform He wore his black dress uniform as well His chest was covered with Silver and Bronze Stars, three Purple Hearts, the Red Legion of Honor award, and a rainbow of can ribbons He had recently shaved his head

The Spartans rose and stood at attention

Dr Halsey entered She looked older to John, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and ray in her dark hair But her blue eyes were as sharp as ever She wore gray slacks, a black shirt, and her glasses hung about her neck on a gold chain

"Adhter

A e His short silver hair looked like a steel hele lope to it--what crewravity He wore a sin ribbons The insignia on the forearold star of a Rear Admiral

"At ease, Spartans," he said "I’m Admiral Stanforth"

The Spartans took their seats in unison

Dust swirled onstage and collected into a robed figure Its face was obscured within the shadows of its hood John could discern no hands at the end of its sleeves

"This is Beowulf," Adhostly creature Stanforth’s voice was calm, but distaste was evident on his face "He is our AI attaché with the Office of Naval Intelligence"

He turned away from the AI "We have several iet started"

The lights dimmed An amber sun appeared in the center of the room with three planets in close orbit

"This is Harvest," he said "Population of approxih on the periphery of UNSC-controlled space, this world is one of our raphic view zoorasslands and forests and a thousand lakes swar with schools of fish

"As of military calendar February 3, at 1423 hours, the Harvest orbital platfore radar contact with this object"

A blurry outline appeared over the stage "Spectroscopic analysis proved inconclusive," Admiral Stanforth said "The object is constructed of raph appeared on a side screen, spikes and jagged lines indicating the relative proportions of elee darkened The words CLASSIFIED--EYES ONLY

appeared over the blackened data

Adlare at the AI

"Contact with Harvest," he continued, "was lost shortly thereafter The Colonial Military Adate That ship arrived in-system on April twentieth, but other than a brief transmission to confirm their exit Slipstream position, no further reports were roup to investigate The group consisted of the destroyer Heracles , coates Arabia and VostokThey entered the Harvest Syste"

The holograph of the planet Harvest changed The lush fields and rolling hills transforht reflected off a glassy crust Heat wavered frolowed red

"This is as left of the colony" The Ade, and then continued "We assume that all inhabitants are lost"

Three million lives lost John couldn’t fathom the raw force it had taken to kill so lanced at the Purple Heart pinned to his chest and remembered his lost comrades How did one simple bullet wound coer proud of the decoration

"And this is what the Heracles battlegroup found in orbit," Admiral Stanforth told the in the air, sharpened into crisp focus It looked sanic, and the hull possessed an odd, opalescent sheen--it looked more like the carapace of an exotic insect than the metal hull of a spacecraft Recessed into the aft section were pods that pulsed with a purple-white glow The prow of the craft ollen like the head of a whale John thought it possessed an odd, predatory beauty

"The unidentified vessel," the Adainst our forces"

Blue flashes strobed fro its hull Bolts of energy coalesced into a fiery sht impacted on the Arabia , splashed across its hull Itsinstantly boiled away, and a plunited atmosphere burst from the breach in the ship’s hull "Those were pulse lasers," Admiral Stanforth explained, "and--if this record is to be believed--souided, superheated plasma weapon"

The Heracles and Vostok launched salvos of missiles toward the craft The eneet The balance of the missiles impacted, detonated into blossoe ship shi, which then vanished

"They also seey shield" Admiral Stanforth took a deep breath and his features hardened into a rim resolve "The Vostok and Arabia were lost with all hands

The Heracles jue she sustained, it took several weeks for Captain Veredi to make it back to Reach

"These weapons and defensive systey Thereforethis craft is of nonhuin" He paused, then added, "The product of a race with technology far in advance of our own"

A h the chamber

"We have, of course, developed a number of first contact scenarios," the Admiral continued, "and Captain Veredi followed our established protocols We had hoped that contact with a new race would be peaceful Obviously this was not the case--the alien vessel did not open fire until our task force atte his words "Fragments of the enemy’s transmissions were intercepted," he continued "A feords have been translated We believe they call the fire, the alien ship broadcast the following estured at Beowulf, who nodded A moment later, a voice thundered from the amphitheater’s speakers John stiffened in his seat when he heard it; the voice froely cale and menace

"Your destruction is the will of the Godsand we are their instrument"

John estruck He stood

"Yes, Spartan?" Stanforth said