第66页

　　"Hmm,"  Admiral  Hood  said.  He  placed  both  thumbs  under  his  chin  as  he  considered  both  positions.
　　"Sir,"  Wagner  said.  "There  is  one  additional  item  not  covered  in  my  report.  It  didn't  seem  exceptionally  important  at  the  time,  but  if  you're  debating  a  recon  mission,  I  thought  it  might  be  pertinent."
　　ERIC  NYLUND 105
　　"Just  spit  it  out,"  General  Strauss  said.
　　Wagner  swallowed  and  resisted  the  urge  to  meet  Ackerson's  eyes.  "When  the  Covenant  destroys  a  planet,  they  typically  move  their  large  warships  closer  and  blanket  the  world  with  a  series  of  crisscrossing  orbits  to  ensure  that  every  square  millimeter  of  the  surface  is  covered  with  plasma  bombardments."
　　"I'm  painfully  aware  of  Covenant  bombardment  doctrine,  Lieutenant,"  Hood  growled.  "What  of  it?"
　　"As  I  indicated,  they  started  at  the  poles,  but  took  in  only  a  few  ships.  They  were  spread  thin  along  the  equatorial  latitudes,  and  no  additional  ships  were  inbound.  In  fact,  a  large  number  of  Covenant  ships  abandoned  the  system,  in  pursuit  of  the  Pillar  of  Autumn?'
　　Ackerson  waved  his  hand  dismissively.  "Reach  is  glassed,  Lieutenant.  If  you  had  stayed  to  watch  the  whole  show,  they  would  have  burned  you  down,  too."
　　"Yes,  sir,"  Wagner  replied.  "If,  however,  there  is  a  recon  mis?sion,  I  would  like  to  volunteer  for  the  duty."
　　Ackerson  got  up  and  strode  to  Wagner.  He  stood  a  centimeter  from  his  face,  and  their  eyes  locked.  Ackerson's  gaze  was  full  of  poison.  Wagner  did  his  best  not  to  recoil,  but  he  couldn't  help  it.  One  look  and  he  knew  this  man  wanted  him  dead—for  whatever  reason:  that  he  had  heard  of  Ackerson's  alternative  program  to  the  SPARTAN-IIs,  that  he  didn't  want  trouble  over  Reach...  or  maybe,  as  Lysithea  had  warned  him,  that  he  was  just  looking  for  someone's  head  to  impale  on  a  pike.
　　"Are  you  deaf,  Lieutenant?"  Ackerson  asked  with  mock  con?cern.  "Some  kind  of  hearing  loss  due  to  combat  action?"
　　"No,  sir."
　　"Well,  when  you  push  the  limits  of  Slipspace  in  those  little  Prowlers,  you  risk  all  kinds  of  radiation  damage.  Or  maybe  the  trauma  of  seeing  Reach  destroyed  shook  you.  Whatever  your  problem,  when  you  leave  here  you  are  to  visit  the  infirmary.  They  are  to  give  you  a  clean  bill  of  health  before  you  return  to  active  duty."  He  shrugged.  "There  must  be  something  wrong  with  you,  Lieutenant,  because  you  do  not  seem  to  understand  me  even  though  my  words  are  crystal  clear."
　　"Sir."
　　"Let's  try  this,  then.  We  are  not  wasting  a  single  UNSC  ship  to
　　106 HALO:  FIRST  STRIKE
　　confirm  what  we  have  already  seen  a  dozen  times  before:  Reach  is  gone."
　　He  inched  closer  to  Wagner.  "Everything  on  it  is  blasted  to  bits,  burned,  glassed  over,  and  vaporized.  Everyone  on  Reach  is  dead."  He  jabbed  a  finger  into  Wagner's  chest  for  emphasis.  "Dead.  Dead.  Dead."
　　SECTION  2
　　DEFENSE  OF  CASTLE  BASE
　　CHAPTER  TWELVE
　　0744  hours,  August  30,2552  (Military  Calendar)\Epsilon  Eridani  system,  Longhorn  Valley,  planet  Reach.  Five  days  ago.
　　Steamy  clouds  parted  like  a  drawn  curtain;  a  fireball  one  hun?dred  meters  across  roared  over  Fred  and  Kelly's  position.  Fred  traced  the  line  of  flames  back  through  the  sky  and  spotted  the  faint  outlines  of  dozens  of  Covenant  warships  in  low  orbit.