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“Reactor red-lining,” the ops officer reported. “Meltdown in twenty-five seconds.”
Over the speakers, there was a crackle, a hiss of static, then: “Longsword interceptors engaging theenemy, sir.”
On the remaining aft camera, there were flickers of light—the cold blue strobes of Covenant energyweapons, and the red-orange fireballs of the Longswords’ missiles.
“Launch the missile,” the Captain said.
“Meltdown in ten seconds.”
“Missile away.”
A plume of exhaust divided the darkness of space.
“Five seconds to meltdown,” the ops officer said. “Four, three, two—”
“Shunt drive plasma to space,” the Captain ordered. “Cut power to all systems.”
The Covenant ship was silhouetted for a split second by pure white—then the view screen snapped off.The bridge lights went dead.
John could see everything, though. The bridge officers, Dr. Halsey as she clutched onto the railing, andCaptain Wallace as he stood and saluted the pilots he had just sent to die.
The hull of theCommonwealth rumbled and pinged as the shock wave enveloped them. It grew louder, asubsonic roar that shook John to his bones.
The noise seemed to go on forever in the darkness. It faded . . . then it was completely silent.
“Power us back up,” the Captain said. “Slowly. Give me ten percent from the reactors if we canmanage.”
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The bridge lights came on, dimly, but they worked.
“Report,” the Captain ordered.
“All sensors offline,” the op officer said. “Resetting backup computer. Hang on. Scanning now. Lots ofdebris. It’s hot back there. All Longsword interceptors vaporized.” He looked up, the color drained fromhis face. “Covenant ship . . . intact, sir.”
“No,” the Captain said, and made a fist.
“It’s moving off, though,” the op officer said with a visible sigh of relief. “Very slowly.”
“What does it take to destroy one of those things?” the Captain whispered.
“We don’t know if our weaponscan destroy them,” Dr. Halsey said. “But at least we know we can slowthem down.”
The Captain stood straighter. “Best speed to the Damascus testing facility. We will execute a flyby orbit,and then proceed to a point twenty million kilometers distant to make repairs.”
“Captain?” Dr. Halsey said. “A flyby?”
“I have orders to get you to the facility and retrieve whatever Section Three has stowed there, ma’am.As we fly by, a dropship will take you and your—” He glanced at John. “—crew planet side. If theCovenant ship returns, we will be the bait to lure them away.”
“I understand, Captain.”
“We’ll rendezvous in orbit no later than 1900 hours.”
Dr. Halsey turned to John. “We need to hurry. We don’t have much time—and there is a great deal Ineed to show the Spartans.”
“Yes, ma’am,” John said. He took a long look at the bridge, and hoped he never had to return.
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CHAPTER THIRTEEN
1845 Hours, November 27, 2525 (Military Calendar) / UNSC Damascus Materials Testing Facility,planetChi Ceti 4