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"Yes, sir," Sergeant Johnson said. "We're on it." He and Po?laski headed for the door, tapped the control, and let the panels slide apart.
Polaski shot a stare at the Master Chief over her shoulder; then, shaking her head, she followed the Sergeant.
"Shit," Locklear said, checking his rifle as he loped after them. "Wait up! Man, I'm never going to get another hour's sleep."
"Sleep when you're dead, Marine," the Sergeant said.
The bridge doors sealed.
Haverson said, "Plot a course back to Earth, Cortana, and then—"
"I'm sorry, Lieutenant Haverson," Cortana said. "I can't do that. A direct course to Earth would be in violation of the Cole
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Protocol. Furthermore, we are not allowed an indirect route, ei?ther. Subsection Seven of the Cole Protocol states that no Cove?nant craft may be taken to human-controlled space without an exhaustive search for tracking systems that could lead the enemy to our bases."
"Subsection Seven?" Haverson said. "I haven't heard of it."
"Very few have, sir," Cortana answered. "It was little more than a technicality. Before this, no one had actually ever cap?tured a Covenant vessel."
"An exhaustive search of this vessel would be difficult under the circumstances," Haverson said and cupped his hand over his chin, thinking. "It must be more than three kilometers long."
"I have a suggestion, sir," the Chief said. "An intermediate destination: Reach."
"Reach?" Haverson quickly hid the shock on his face with a smile. "Chief, there's nothing in the Reach system except a Covenant armada."
"No, sir," the Master Chief replied. "There are ... other possibilities."
Haverson raised an eyebrow. "Go ahead, Chief. I'm intrigued."
"The first possibility," John said, "is that the Covenant have glassed the planet and moved on. In which case there might be a derelict, but serviceable, UNSC craft that we could repair and take to Earth. We'd leave the Covenant flagship in low orbit and return with the proper scientific staff and equipment to effect a salvage operation."
Haverson nodded. "A long shot. Although the Euphrates did have a Prowler attached to her. They were supposed to launch a reconnaissance mission, before they got the signal to drop everything and help defend Reach. So maybe it's not such a long shot, after all. And the other possibility?"
"The Covenant are still there," the Master Chief said. "The likelihood that they would attack one of their own capital ships is low. In either event, there is no violation of the Cole Protocol because the Covenant already know the location of Reach."
"True," Haverson said. He paced to the center of the bridge. "Very well, Chief. Cortana, set course for Reach. We'll enter at the edge of the system and assess the situation. If it's too hot, we jump and find another route home."
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"Acknowledged, Lieutenant," Cortana replied. "Be advised that this ship traverses Slipspace much faster than our UNSC counterparts. ETA to Reach in thirteen hours."