Linda was where he left her, shooting her targets with absolute concentration and precision.

“There are more on the way,” he told her.

“Reinforcements have already arrived in the bay,” she reported. “Twenty, at least. They’re learning, overlapping their shields—can’t get a good shot in.”

Static crackled over the Master Chief’s COM channel: “Master Chief, this is Captain Keyes. Did you get the NAV database?” The Captain sounded out of breath.

“Negative, sir. We’re close.”

“We’re bound in-system to retrieve you. ETA is five minutes. Destroy the Circumference’s database and get out ASAP. If you cannot accomplish your mission... I’ll have to take out the station with the Pillar of Autumn’s weapons. We are running out of time.”

“Understood, sir.”

The channel snapped off.

Captain Keyes was wrong. They weren’t running out of time... time had already run out.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

0616 Hours, August 30, 2552 (Military Calendar)

UNSC Pillar of Autumn, Epsilon Eridani System near Reach Station Gamma

The plan started to fall apart almost the instant the Pillar of Autumn launched their Pelican dropships.

“Bring us about to heading two seven zero,” Captain Keyes ordered Ensign Lovell.

“Aye, Captain,” Lovell said.

“Lieutenant Hall, track the dropships’ trajectories.”

“Pelican One on target to dock with station Gamma,” Lieutenant Hall reported. “Pelican Two initiating descent burn. They are five by five to land just outside FLEET HQ—”

“Captain,” Cortana interrupted. “Spatial disruption behind us.”

The view screen snapped to the aft. Black space bubbled with green points of light; the stars in the distance faded and stretched—a Covenant frigate appeared from nowhere.

“Lieutenant Dominique,” Captain Keyes barked, “notify FLEETCOM that we have unwanted visitors in the backyard. I respectfully suggest they reorient those orbital guns ASAP. Ensign Lovell, turn this ship around and give me maximum power to the engines. Lieutenant Hikowa, prepare to fire the MAC gun and arm Archer missile pods B1 through B7.”

The crew jumped to their tasks.

The Pillar of Autumn spun about, her engines flared, and she slowly came to a halt. The ship started back toward the new Covenant threat.

“Sir,” Cortana said. “Spatial disruptions increasing exponentially.”

Two more Covenant frigates appeared, flanking the first ship.

As soon as they exited Slipstream space—a white-hot line streaked across the blackness. A Super MAC gun had targeted them and fired. The Covenant ship only existed for a moment longer. Its shields flashed and the hull blasted into fragments.

“They’re powered down,” Captain Keyes said. “No lights, no plasma weapons charging, no lasers. What are they doing?”

“Perhaps,” Cortana said, “their pinpoint jumps require all their energy reserves.”

“A weakness?” Captain Keyes mused.

“Not for long,” Cortana replied. “Covenant energy levels climbing.”

The two remaining Covenant ships powered up—lights snapped on, engines glowed, and motes of red light appeared and streamed along their lateral lines.

“Entering optimal firing range,” Lieutenant Hikowa announced. “Targeting solutions computer for both ships, Captain.”

“Target the port vessel with our MAC gun,” Lieutenant Hikowa. “Ready Archer missiles for the starboard target. Let’s hope we can draw their fire.”

Lieutenant Hikowa typed in the commands. “Ready, sir.”

“Fire.”

The Pillar of Autumn’s MAC gun fired three times. Thunder roiled up from the ventral decks. Archer missiles snaked through space toward the Covenant frigate on the starboard edge of the enemy formation.

The Covenant ships fired... but not at the Pillar of Autumn. Plasma bolts launched toward the two closest orbital guns.

The Pillar of Autumn’s MAC rounds struck the Covenant ship once, twice. Their shields flared, glowed, and dimmed. The third round struck clean and penetrated her hull aft—sent the ship spinning counterclockwise.

The orbital MAC guns fired again—a streak of silver and the port Covenant vessel shattered—a split second later the starboard ship exploded, too.

But their plasma torpedoes continued toward their targets, splashing across two of the orbital defense platforms. The guns melted and collapsed into boiling molten spheres in the microgravity.

Thirteen guns left, Captain Keyes thought. Not exactly a lucky number.

“Lieutenant Dominique,” he said, “request FLEETCOM to send all arriving vessels in-system to take up defense positions near our guns. The Covenant is willing to sacrifice a ship for one of our orbital guns. Advise them the Covenant ships appear to be dead in space for a few seconds after they execute a pinpoint jump.”

“Got it, sir,” Lieutenant Dominique said. “Message away.”

“Lieutenant Hikowa,” Captain Keyes said. “Send the destruction codes to those wild missiles we launched.”

“Aye, sir.”

“Belay that,” Captain Keyes said. Something didn’t feel right. “Lieutenant Hall, scan the region for anything unusual.”

“Scanning, sir,” she said. “There are millions of hull fragments; radar is useless. Thermal is off the charts—everything is hot out there.” She paused, leaned closer, and a hank of her blond hair fell into her face, but she didn’t brush it aside. “Reading motion toward Gamma station, sir. Landing pods.”

“Lieutenant Hikowa,” Keyes said. “Repurpose those Archer missiles. New targets—link with Lieutenant Hall for coordinates.”

“Yes, Captain,” they said in unison.

“Diversion, distraction, and deceit,” Captain Keyes said. “The Covenant’s tactics are almost getting predictable.”

A hundred pinpoints of fire dotted the distant space as their missiles found Covenant targets.

“Picking up activity just out of the effective range of our orbital guns,” Cortana said.

“Show me,” Captain Keyes said.

The titanic Covenant vessel Keyes had seen before was back. It fired its brilliant blue-white beam—a lance across space—that struck the destroyer Herodotus, one hundred thousand kilometers distant. The beam cut clean through the ship, stem to stern, bisecting her.

“Christ,” Ensign Lovell whispered.

A salvo of orbital gun rounds fired at this new target... but it was too far away. The ship moved out of the trajectory of the shells. They missed.

Another beam flashed from the Covenant vessel. Another ship—a carrier, the Musashi—was severed amidships as it moved to cover the orbital guns. The aft section of the ship continued to thrust forward, her engines still running hot.

“They’re going to sniper our ships,” Keyes said. “Leave us nothing to fortify Reach.” He took out his pipe and tapped it in the palm of his hand. “Ensign Lovell. Plot an intercept course. Engines to maximum. We’re going to take that ship out.”

“Sir?” Lovell sat straighter. “Yes, sir. Plotting course now.”

Cortana appeared on the holographic display. “I assume you have another brilliant navigational maneuver to evade this enemy, Captain.”

“I thought I’d fly straight in, Cortana... and let you do the driving.”

“Straight? You are joking.” Logic symbols streamed up her body.

“I never joke when it comes to navigation,” Captain Keyes said. “You will monitor the energy state of that ship. The instant you detect a buildup in their reactors, a spike of particle emissions—anything—you fire our emergency thrusters to throw off their aim.”

Cortana nodded. “I’ll do my best,” she said. “Their weapon does travel at light speed. There won’t be much time to—”

A bang resonated through their port side hull. Captain Keyes flew sideways. Blue-white light flashed on their port view screen.