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CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
0558 Hours, August 30, 2552 (Military Calendar) /UNSCPillar of Autumn , Epsilon Eridani System
The mission had just encountered another snag.
It never entered the Master Chief’s mind that he would fail to achieve his objectives. He had to succeed.Failure meant death for not only himself, but for all the Spartans . . . every human.
He stood at the view screen in the cargo bay and reread the priority Alpha transmission Captain Keyeshad sent down:
Alpha priority channel: To Fleet Admiralty from REACH Space Dock Quartermaster AI-8575 (a.k.a. Doppler) /
/triple-encryption time-stamped public key: red rover red rover/
/start file/
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED
Item:Covenant data invasion packets detected penetrating firewall of REACH DOC NET.Counterintrusion software enacted. Resolution: 99.9 percent certainty of neutralization.
Item:Initialization of triple-screening protocol discovered the corvetteCircumference /Bay Gamma-9/isolated from REACH DOC NET.
Item:Covenant ships detected on inbound Slipstream vector intersecting Bay Gamma-9.
Conclusion:Unsecured navigation data on theCircumference detected by Covenant forces.
Conclusion: VIOLATION OF THE COLE PROTOCOL.
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED.
/end file/
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He replayed the distress call from Reach’s groundside FLEETCOM HQ.
“ . . . They’ve breached the perimeter. Fall back! Fall back! If anyone can hear this: the Covenant isgroundside. Massing near the armory . . . they’re—”
The Master Chief copied these files and sent them over his squad’s COM channel. They had a right toknow everything, too.
There was only one reason the Covenant would launch a ground invasion: to take out the planetarydefense generators. If they succeeded, Reach would fall.
And there was only one reason why the Covenant wanted the shipCircumference —to plunder its NAVdatabase—and find every human world, including Earth.
Captain Keyes appeared on the view screen. He held his pipe in one hand, squeezing it so tight hisknuckles were white. “Master Chief, I believe the Covenant will use a pinpoint Slipspace jump to aposition just off the space dock. They may try to get their troops on the station before the Super MACguns can take out their ships. This will be a difficult mission, Chief. I’m . . . open to suggestions.”
“We can take care of it,” the Master Chief replied.
Captain Keyes’ eyes widened and he leaned forward in his command chair. “How exactly, MasterChief?”
“With all due respect, sir, Spartans are trained to handle difficult missions. I’ll split my squad. Three willboard the space dock and make sure that NAV data does not fall into the Covenant’s hands. Theremainder of the Spartans will go groundside and repel the invasion forces.”
Captain Keyes considered this. “No, Master Chief, it’s too risky. We’ve got to make sure the Covenantdoesn’t get that NAV data. We’ll use a nuclear mine, set it close to the docking ring, and detonate it.”