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252
HALO: FIRST STRIKE
"No, sir," the Master Chief finally replied. "There were enemy
casualties. And we had to blow their cargo bay to escape."
"So," the Admiral said, tapping his fingers on the arm of the
Captain's chair, "they're not going to be happy to see a UNSC
ship knocking on their front door?"
"I wouldn't expect so, sir."
"Faint emissions on the D-band detected," Cortana said.
"Come about to new heading three-three-zero."
"Aye," Haverson said. "Three-three-zero."
"It's gone, now," she said, "but I definitely heard something"
"Keep on this course," Admiral Whitcomb ordered. "We'll
run it down."
"There's one thing I don't understand," Haverson said as he
squinted at the forward displays. "Why are these people even
here?"
"Pirates and insurgents," the Admiral answered. "They hijack
UNSC ships, sell arms, and trade black market commodities.
You're probably too young to remember, Lieutenant, but before
the Covenant War not everyone wanted to be part of an
Earth-ruled government."
"Rebels?" Haverson said. "I've read about them. But why con-
tinue to stay separated from UNSC forces when the Covenant
War started? Surely their chances of survival would be better
with us?"
The Admiral snorted a derisive laugh. "Some people didn't
want to fight, son. Some just wanted to hide.. . in this case, liter-
ally under a rock. Maybe they think the Covenant won't bother
with 'em." A smile flickered across his face. "Well, we're about
to change all that for them."
The elevator doors parted, and Dr. Halsey stepped onto the
bridge. She removed her glasses and rubbed her eyes. She
looked to the Master Chief as if she had just retimed from an in-
tense fight—fatigued and shocked. He noticed a single drop of
blood on the lapel of her wrinkled white lab coat.
"She's fine," Dr. Halsey whispered. "Linda will make it. The
flash-cloned organs took."
The Master Chief exhaled the breath he had been uncon-
sciously holding. He glanced over to Fred, who nodded to him.
John nodded back. There were no words to express how he felt.