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“Sound decompression alarms in all nonessential sections, Lieutenant Hall, and then empty them.”
“Aye, sir,” she said, and bit her lower lip.
“Guns: status on the MACs?” Keyes’ eyes were glued to the firing countdown. Twenty seconds . . .fifteen . . . ten . . .
“Sir, MAC weapon systems are hot!” Hikowa announced. “Removing safeties now.”
The Covenant ships started to rotate slowly in space—although their momentum continued to carry themon their inbound trajectory toward the UNSC phalanx. Motes of red light collected along the alien ships’lateral lines.
Five seconds.
“Transferring firing control to the computer,” Lieutenant Hikowa said. She punched a series of firingcodes into the computer, then locked down the controls. TheIroquois recoiled and spat twin bolts ofthunder toward the enemy.
The starboard view screen showed UNSC destroyers and frigates launching their opening salvo.
The Covenant fleet fired as well; angry red lances of energy raced though space towards them.
“Time until that plasma impacts?” Captain Keyes asked Ensign Lovell.
“Twenty-two seconds, sir.”
The vacuum between the two opposing forces filled with a hundred lines of fire and smoldering metalthat seemed to tear through the fabric of space.
Their trajectories closed on one another, then crossed, and the bolts of fire grew larger on the main
screen.
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Lieutenant Dominique said, “Receiving a second set of firing solutions and times. Admiral Stanforth onthe priority channel, sir.”
“Put him on, holotank two,” Keyes ordered.
Near the main view screen, a small holographic tank—normally reserved for the ship’s AI—winked intooperation. Admiral Stanforth’s ghostly image appeared. “All ships: hold your positions. Divert allengine power to recharge your guns. We’ve got something special cooked up.” His eyes narrowed. “Donot—I repeat, do not—underany circumstance break position or fire before you are ordered to do so.Stanforth out.”
The holographic projection of the Admiral snapped out of existence.
“Orders, sir?” Ensign Lovell turned in his seat.
“You heard the Admiral, Ensign. Thrusters to station keeping. Lieutenant Hikowa: get those gunsrecharged on the double.”
“Aye, sir.”
Keyes nodded as Hikowa turned back to her task. “Three seconds until first salvo impact,” sheannounced.
Keyes turned back to the tac display, concentrating on the MAC rounds that crawled across the screen.The fleet’s MAC rounds hammered into the Covenant lines. Shields flickered silver-blue and overloadedas the super-dense projectiles rammed into the formation; several ships were spun out of position by theimpact.
“Guns?” he called out. “Enemy status?”
“Multiple hits on Covenant fleet, sir,” Hikowa replied. “Salvo two impact . . . now.”
A handful of the shots were clean misses. Keyes winced; each one of the off-trajectory MAC roundsmeant one more enemy ship would survive to return fire.
The vast majority, however, slammed into the unshielded alien vessels. The lead Covenant destroyertook a direct hit from a heavy round, which sent the alien ship into a lurching port spin.