第134页
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THIRTY-ONE
SEVENTH CYCLE, 193 UNITS (COVENANT BATTLE CALENDAR) \ ABOARD CRUISER, INCORRUPTIBLE; IN ORBIT ABOVE PLANET ONYX-SYSTEM: ZETA DORADUS (HUMAN DESIGNATION)
Fleet Master Voro stepped up to the command console on the bridge of the Incorruptible. His crew snapped to attention at his presence.
All was perfect. He controlled a fleet of the finest ships on what might be the most important mission for his people… and this would be his crowning moment: contact with the Forerunner guardians of this world.
"Ship Master Qunu," he said over ship-to-ship COM, "report."
On the central holographic display, Qunu's destroyer, the Far Sight Lost, continued to accelerate from the safety of the fleet's defensive sphere formation. It plunged into a high orbit over the world the humans had called "Onyx"; this word had no meaning for their translation Oracle.
"Fleet Master," Qunu replied, "moving into the proscribed vector of supplication."
A thousand tiny craft crested over the planet's northern magnetic pole and moved toward the Far Sight Lost on attack vectors.
"Honor light your way," Voro told Quno.
Quno finished the time-old Sangheili maxim: "Our blood will forge a thousand generations."
Voro had considered initiating contact himself, but decided the honor should go to Qunu, whose knowledge of the ancient ritual responses from the Fire and Repentance Codices of the First Age was unmatched.
On Y'gar's sensor station a schematic of one of the Forerunner vessels appeared: three unconnected cylinders and a sphere.
"Power signatures detected, sir," Y'gar reported, his one good eye staring at the patterns. "Energy shields and offensive-system waveforms present."
Voro considered this: The power outputs from these tiny ships were insufficient to penetrate their shields… but there were so many.
"Spin up the fore energy projector," Voro ordered.
Uruo hesitated a heartbeat, and then moved his hands over the controls. "Fore energy projector charging, sir."
The shimmering of power readings of the Forerunner vessels reflected Voro's gaze.
During their Slipspace journey, Voro had made clear to his Ship Masters that they had to be willing to set aside their beliefs. Others had been blinded by the glory of Ring of the Gods, and subsequently destroyed by the human and the Flood infestations. They must be prepared for anything.
"Alert the fleet to make weapons ready," Voro ordered Y'gar.
"Aye, sir."
Voro wanted to believe the Forerunners had left this world to deliver them in their hour of greatest need… his instincts, however, told him not to trust anything but Sangheili blood.
"Far Sight Lost broadcasting on an open channel," Y'gar said, and put it on bridge audio.
"… let us cast arms aside," Ship Master Qunu began the ritual greeting. "… And like discard our wrath. Thou, in faith, will keep us safe. Whilst we find the path."
The thousands of the tiny craft drifted in the central holographic display like a cloud of dust. They formed octahedral geometries, solidifying into crystals of gold and ruby in the dark of space, surrounding the Far Sight Lost.