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The Beatrice rumbled and leapt forward.
Dr. Halsey flattened into her seat.
"Pursuit vessels accelerating to intercept," Jerrod informed her.
"Hold course," Dr. Halsey said with effort.
The moon grew large on the central viewscreen.
"I'm afraid I had no chance to double-check the trajectory," Dr. Halsey told Kelly through gritted teeth. "It's my best guess at a slingshot approach."
"It is quite accurate, ma'am," Jerrod chimed in.
"I may not survive the acceleration," Dr. Halsey said, now breathing with exertion. "I will certainly not remain conscious. You must land the craft. Find the others." She paused, panting. "Programming reentry…"
"What 'others'?" Kelly asked.
"Energy spike," Jerrod said. "Lead pursuit vehicles' central cores now emitting blackbody radiation equivalent of fifteen thousand degrees Kelvin."
Dr. Halsey rechecked the engine schematic with a trembling finger. "Increase power output to thruster by one hundred sixty percent."
"Yes, ma'am."
The aft section of the Beatrice shuddered and metal groaned from uneven stress.
The twilight region of the planet's moon filed the viewscreen with canyons of blue ice and methane geysers.
"Aft view," Dr. Halsey breathed. The corners of her vision darkened.
The viewscreen switched. In the black of space, pinpoints of white sparkled and lances of energy slashed through the dark.
Kelly gripped the sides of her chair with such force that the metal bent.
"Initiate roll," Dr. Halsey whispered. "Two radians per second."
The Beatrice spun. The incoming beams were bright as solar
flares, and the video feed distorted chromatic as they closed— then passed.
"Missed!" Kelly almost leapt out of her harness.
Dr. Halsey's heart pounded in her throat. She closed her eyes and tapped in commands. It was too hard to talk now, but her fingers knew what to do. She programmed the time-delayed burn, her best guess at how much oversurge the plasma coils could withstand, calculated reentry angles, and although she didn't believe in God, she prayed to… someone.
When she reopened her eyes, she couldn't see. Blood pooled in her central organs, depriving oxygen from her brain.
On her keypad she pressed Enter.
"That is an inadvisable course of action. Doctor," Jerrod said.
"Kelly," Dr. Halsey murmured. "Find them. Save them."
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← ^ → CHAPTER
EIGHTEEN
1020 HOURS, NOVEMBER 3, 2552 (MILITARY CALENDAR) \ ZETA DORADUS SYSTEM, ORBITAL ENTRY VECTOR OVER PLANET ONYX \ ABOARD DECOMMISSIONED UNSC CHIROPTERA-CLASS VESSEL (ILLEGAL REGISTRY) BEATRICE
Kelly unbuckled her harness and checked Dr. Halsey. She was breathing, but without a pressure suit the acceleration had been too much for her.
Unfamiliar frustration coursed through Kelly. She resented not being briefed about this new mission, being thrust into the middle of a conflict she knew nothing about, and worst of all— having no way to fight.
But maybe it had happened too fast for John and the others to