Filter
Top Products
228
HALO: FIRST STRIKE
"Glad you concur with my calculations," the Admiral re-
marked dryly.
Lieutenant Haverson glanced at the Gettysburg and nodded,
finally understanding. "Aye, sir. A good plan."
"Admiral," the Master Chief's voice broke through in a wash
of static. "Hull breach is sealed, sir."
"Hang on, son," Admiral Whitcomb said. "This might be a
rough ride. Cortana, give me flank speed now!"
"Complying," Cortana said. "Flank speed. Conduit is hold-
ing. Coming about to two-four-zero by zero-three-five. Colli-
sion with Covenant cruiser at this speed and heading in eighteen
seconds."
Ascendant Justice-Gettysburg accelerated toward a line of
wavering orange plasma—and steamed through it like a ship
smashing through a storm wave on the open seas.
Fire splashed over their hulls and burned away layers of ar-
mor. The entire hull superstructure groaned. Explosions rever-
berated through the deck.
"Fire on decks eight through twelve," Cortana reported. "We
have lost plasma turret five. Distance to enemy ship six thousand
kilometers and closing."
"Initiate a roll, Cortana. Make it thirty degrees per second.
That'll spread out the damage over more surface area."
"Roll maneuver, aye. Attitude thrusters set to maximum burn."
She exhaled, and her holographic image flickered with irrita-
tion. "This will make a targeting solution difficult, sir."
"Set firing range of plasma turrets for point blank," the Admi-
ral told her.
Cortana hesitated for a full second. "Yes, Admiral."
The space on the external cameras slowly began to spin as
their ship spiraled toward their intended target.
The Covenant cruiser came about to face them. Its plasma tur-
rets glowed like angry red eyes.
"Lieutenant, take the weapons station. Cortana, give us a
firing solution and manual fire control."
Haverson's hands moved quickly over the Covenant holo-
graphic control surfaces. "Cortana has a firing solution, sir. Acti-
vate weapons?"
"Stand by, Lieutenant."