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Three Covenant destroyers detonated under this combined fire.
The plasma dissipated throughout the upper atmosphere, filling the near vacuum with a fading purple haze.
The surviving Covenant ships struggled to accelerate out of the gravity well.
The other alien ships, however, were faster and gained on them.
Two Covenant vessels spun about and fired their energy projectors and lasers at the lead alien formation.
The octahedral's shields crackled with static and dissipated. The tiny craft within the formation bloomed into fireballs.
The remaining two alien formations fired upon this Covenant rear guard—energy beams cut their shields and blasted them to atoms.
The Covenant ploy, however, had worked.
The balance of their fleet had escaped the gravity of Onyx and outdistanced their persuaders.
Lash's mind reeled. Who were these new aliens? Or was this a weapon captured and controlled by the Spartans sent ahead of them?
The Covenant's tactics also confused Lash. They hadn't used a Slipspace jump—something he was certain they would have done to escape rather than sacrifice two ships.
Suddenly, everything in this war had changed. Commander Lash wasn't sure if it was for the better, or for the worse.
"Break orbit… dead slow," Lash whispered. "Move us to Lagrange-Three. Lieutenant Yang, continuous check on our stealth profile. Durruno, keep on the passive radar and watch for escape pods."
"What the hell are they?" Waters asked, staring at the viewscreen.
The octahedral formations drifted apart and the drones spread out in the upper atmosphere.
Lash shook his head.
"Transmission on the UNSC E-Band, sir," Yang said, straining to listen into his earbud. "From the planet surface. Someone is broadcasting in the open."
"To the UNSC forces in orbit over the planet designated XF-063, this is the Artificial Intelligence Endless Summer, MIL AI ID 4279. If you want to survive the next three minutes, answer this hail."
Lash and Waters exchanged startled looks.
"Message repeats, sir," Yang said. "Encoded scheme in the carrier wave indicates a reply via encryption protocol JERICHO."
Lash was uncertain what to do. Patterson's fleet was on the wrong side of the planet to receive this message. Covenant and alien forces of unknown disposition were too close for comfort. And for the moment, as long as the Dusk was silent, they were safe.
"Drop a BLACK WIDOW COM satellite," Lash ordered, "and then move us off thirty thousand meters and route a single beam. Send this: To AI MIL ID 4279, this is Commander Richard Lash of the UNSC prowler Dusk. We're listening… '"
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← ^ → SECTION VII
RECLAIMERS
CHAPTER
THIRTY-THREE
2050 HOURS, NOVEMBER 3, 2552 (MILITARY CALENDAR) \ ZETA DORADUS SYSTEM, PLANET ONYX \ RESTRICTED REGION ZONE 67
Kurt turned to Dr. Halsey. "The door, Doctor."
She tapped a Forerunner icon.
A doorway slid open.
"Use this thing," Kurt said, and waved at the entire holographic map room, "and find a way to the Spartans in cryo. If you can't do that, then find us a route out of this place— underground, small enough so those Sentinels can't follow."