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She got to her feet.
One of these figures had a curious handprint dent in their
chest armor where Kelly had struck. The camo patterns there were misaligned, part shadow, part flames.
The three stepped back, their MA5Ks pointed at the ground.
Another camouflaged figure appeared and stepped between her and these soldiers.
"Stand down, everyone," he said. "Welcome to my neck of the woods, Kelly"
The voice was a perfect match from her memories. "Kurt?" she whispered.
"I'm glad you remember."
As if she could ever forget him. "Let me see your face," she said, keeping her hands up.
The active camouflage faded and the gold mirrored faceplate unpolarized.
Kelly peered inside the helmet. The slight cleft in his chin, the hazel eyes, the quick smile—it was Kurt.
Around them, Kelly detected motion: two more in the curious armor, taking up good firing positions. That was smart. They were well trained.
Kelly dropped her hands. "What's going on here?"
"I'll explain everything," he said, "but we need to move. They hunt in threes now. A pair on patrol and one at high altitude on overwatch. They'll have our location."
Kurt pointed to two on his team and then at the unconscious Dr. Halsey.
Two soldiers went to her and wrapped her in a thermally reflective blanket. They carried her off between them.
Kurt told Kelly, "Go COM silent." He then motioned to her and to his team to follow.
They moved quickly and silently through the brush.
Kelly admired the caution, speed, and professionalism of these soldiers. Not a word from them. The two carrying Dr. Halsey kept up with the rest of them. No one broke the loose V formation.
Still, something about these soldiers made her uneasy. It was
nothing she could quantify, but as Kurt had often said, just a feeling.
"Who's this Team Saber?" she asked Kurt in a whisper.
"I'm disappointed you haven't guessed," he whispered back. "They're Spartans."
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← ^ → CHAPTER
TWENTY
1125 HOURS, NOVEMBER 3, 2552 (MILITARY CALENDAR) \ ZETA DORADUS SYSTEM, PLANET ONYX \ RESTRICTED REGION KNOWN AS ZONE 67
The pounding in Dr. Halsey's head brought her rudely to consciousness. She smelled burnt metal and blinked open her eyes. She was in a concrete room with a slit of a window high on one long wall.
As her vision adjusted to the indirect light she saw Kelly and a figure in body armor next to her. The armor was a hybrid between the MJOLNIR and something older… like legionnaire armor, but it was difficult to tell the precise geometry as the light seemed to slide off its edges.
In the far comer she spotted Chief Mendez, confirming at least part of her theories about this place. He considered an angle of light that streamed through the window. He puffed on his favorite, a Sweet William cigar, and blew smoke rings.
There were seven others, sitting in the far corner, two sleeping, and five playing cards. Their helmets and boots were off, and their MA5Ks, cut-down versions of the standard MA5B assault rifle, were close at hand.