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revive her. Everything had happened too fast since the fall of Reach. Still, something didn't add up.
Kelly understood, though, that she wasn't getting any answers from Dr. Halsey in the near future, assuming either of them had a future.
First thing first. Locate your enemy.
"Update on pursuit craft?" Kelly asked the AI.
The tiny holographic spark answered, "From our emergent position on the far side on the satellite, I now only detect one hundred forty-seven vessels. Two minutes until they are again within weapons range."
"Only a hundred and forty-seven?" Kelly muttered. "Lucky break for us."
A blue-green planet appeared centered on the viewscreen.
"What was Dr. Halsey's last course correction?"
"Planetary insertion," the AI said.
The Beatrice shuddered. A crackling hiss was emitted from the engine room, then another from the port wing strut. The temperature dropped twenty degrees.
"Twelve percent per minute loss of cabin pressure," the AI reported.
"We can't insert at this velocity," Kelly said. "The only things that reenter this fast and touch down are meteors."
"Only partially correct, SPARTAN-087," the AI said. "Dr. Halsey's last burn instructions solve that part of the problem, at least in theory."
"Explain."
The ship rotated 180 degrees and its nose angled up.
"Dr. Halsey's calculation is for a counterthrust. I am about to initiate an overcharge bum from the coils. But this is only a theoretical operation as it exceeds the engineered coil output by two hundred forty percent."
On-screen wisps of heat curled. Long trails of smoke appeared.
"Entering upper atmosphere, and—" The AI paused. "Stand by. Incoming weak transmission on the E-Band."
The E-Band was the UNSC emergency broadcast channel.
"On audio, quick," Kelly said.
There was a wash of static and then: "—is automated general distress code Bloody Arrow. All UNSC personnel heed and stand to. We are under attack and req—"
It faded to white noise.
Kelly would have known the voice anywhere. It was the man who had made her and every Spartan what they were: Chief Petty Officer Mendez.
The Bloody Arrow code was used only when all friendly positions had been overrun by enemy forces. A total rout. The most likely interpretation was a Covenant invasion.
"Warning. Pursuing vessels in weapons range in seven seconds," the AI informed her. Sparks appeared in the blue-black of space. "Energy spikes detected from multiple point sources."
"Confirm, no weapons on this craft," Kelly said.
"Confirmed," the AI replied.
Why would Dr. Halsey take an unarmed ship on a dangerous mission?
"Initiate evasive roll," Kelly ordered the AI.
"Inadvisable. With precarious thruster adjustments I am able to maintain a stable descent. A roll would result in an unrecoverable tumble."
Convection blooms of heat appeared on the aft camera, making the growing pursuit craft waver. Another shudder ran through the hull, continued, and increased in intensity.
"Energy discharge from pursuit craft," the AI said.