第68页

　　"EMP,"  Kelly  shouted  over  the  COM.  "Or  some  plasma  effect."
　　110 HALO:  FIRST  STRIKE
　　"Hard  landing,"  Fred  ordered.
　　Kelly  made  an  unhappy  sound  over  the  COM  and  snapped  it  off.
　　They  plummeted  out  of  the  sky,  gliding  with  what  little  aero?dynamics  and  power  remained  in  their  Banshees.  Fred  nosed  his  craft  over  the  steaming  rocks  of  the  dry  riverbed.  He  picked  a  path  between  boulders  and  jagged  granite  fangs,  pointed  toward  a  ribbon  of  gravel.
　　There  was  just  one  problem:  A  pair  of  these  rocks  were  slightly  darker  than  the  others  .  ..  and  they  moved.
　　The  creatures  were  huge  and  heavily  armored  and  moved  with  slow,  deliberate  precision.  Each  held  a  massive  metal  plate  like  a  shield.  Fred  hit  the  COM  and  yelled,  "Heads  up!  Covenant  Hunters  dead  ahead!"  There  was  no  time  to  evade  the  new  threat.  The  nearest  Hunter  wheeled  to  face  them,  and  the  array  of  sen?sory  pins  along  its  back  flared,  anemone-like.  The  hulking  crea?ture  raised  its  main  weapon—a  powerful  fuel  rod  gun,  mounted  on  its  arm—at  Fred.  The  barrel  pulsed  green.
　　The  Hunter  fired.
　　Fred  killed  the  power,  and  his  Banshee  dropped  ten  meters.  There  was  a  flash  as  the  orb  of  destructive  energy  split  the  air  where  his  flier  had  been  a  second  before.
　　The  Banshee  hit  the  ground,  skidding  through  fist-sized  rocks.  The  battered  craft  flipped  and  tossed  him  to  the  ground.  The  Banshee  rolled  end  over  end  and  crashed  into  the  Hunter.
　　The  massive  alien  brought  up  its  thick,  metal  shield  and  shrugged  off  the  wreckage  as  if  it  were  cardboard.  The  fuel  rod  gun  began  to  charge  again.
　　Fred  winced  and  rolled  to  his  feet,  ignoring  the  new  pain  the  crash  landing  had  caused.  He  needed  a  weapon.  Pain  would  have  to  wait.
　　The  Hunter  lumbered  toward  him,  then  dropped  into  a  crouch  and  charged  ahead  at  terrifying  speed.
　　There  was  a  crackle  of  static  on  his  COM  frequency,  and  Fred  heard  one  word:  "Duck!"
　　He  threw  himself  onto  the  ground  and  rolled  to  the  side.
　　Kelly's  riderless  flier  soared  over  him  and  collided  with  the  Hunter  at  full  speed.  The  Banshee  exploded  and  showered  the  area  with  glittering  metal  fragments.
　　ERIC  NYLUND
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　　The  Hunter  reeled  as  fire  washed  across  its  armor.  It  moved  in  slow,  confused  circles.  Fred  could  see  the  bright  orange  smears  of  the  Hunter's  blood  staining  the  rocks.
　　Kelly  landed  on  her  feet  next  to  Fred.  She  readied  a  captured  plasma  grenade  and  hurled  it  straight  toward  the  second  Hunter's  huge  gun.
　　It  lodged  in  the  barrel  of  the  weapon  and  detonated.  Tendrils  of  energy  covered  the  Hunter.  The  gun  crackled  and  belched  smoke.
　　Fred  got  to  his  feet.  "Run!"
　　They  weren't  going  to  engage  a  Hunter  in  hand-to-hand  com?bat.  They  might  lose—they  might  win,  but  in  the  meantime  the  rest  of  the  Covenant  ground  forces  would  catch  up  to  them.
　　They  sprinted  toward  a  tiny  patch  of  forest  ahead,  perhaps  the  last  trees  standing  on  Reach.  The  Hunter,  confused  with  its  de?stroyed  weapon—and  its  flame-wreathed  partner—hesitated,  not  sure  what  to  do.
　　"Didn't  you  see  while  we  were  airborne?"  Kelly  said,  concern  tightening  her  voice.  "There's  about  half  the  entire  Covenant  as?sault  force  just  ahead."