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256
HALO: FIRST STRIKE
the long arm of Imperial Earth and Covenant intrusions." Some-
one off camera handed Jiles a data pad with a radar silhouette of
Gettysburg-Ascendant Justice; numbers and symbols crawled
alongside the picture. He hesitated and crinkled his nose, ap-
pearing confused at the odd configuration of mated craft. "We
are also not foolish enough to use overwhelming force when it
isn't required. Your 'ship' is ready to fall apart on its own. I
hardly think we need to waste one of our precious and expensive
nuclear devices to stop you."
Whitcomb set his hands on his hips. "You need to rethink the
tactical situation, Governor," he growled. "Cortana, find me a
target—a rock the same size as this 'gentleman's' base."
"Done," she replied.
"Burn it," he ordered.
"Aye, sir!"
A lance of plasma appeared on the starboard side of Ascen-
dant Justice, cut through space, and blasted the surface of a
three-kilometer-long stone tumbling through the asteroid belt.
Its surface heated to orange, yellow, and then white, sputtering
blobs of molten iron and jets of vapor that caused the massive
stone to spin faster. The plasma cut through the rock in a wide
arc—punched through the opposite side. The uneven internal
heat caused the rock to fracture and explode into fragments. The
debris pinwheeled away, leaving helical trails of cooling iron
and glittering metallic gas in its wake.
"Keep number two and three turrets hot," the Admiral said,
"and target their base."
"Done, sir."
The mocking smile had vanished from Jiles's face and the
color had drained from his golden skin. "Perhaps I was too
hasty," he said. "Where are my manners? Please come aboard
and join me as my honored guest. Bring your staff, too." He
made a quick motion to his crew off camera.
The ships surrounding the Gettysburg turned and maneu-
vered back toward the rotating asteroid.
"Join me for dinner and we can discuss what you need. You
have my word that no one will be harmed."
Admiral Whitcomb chuckled. "I have no doubt about that,