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ERIC NYLUND
49
the bone, and during the action on Halo had been decidedly
negative about the SPARTAN-IIs in general... and the Chief in
particular.
Another man gripped the edge of the hatch and pulled himself
up. He had a plasma pistol strapped to his side and wore a crisp
black uniform. His red hair was neatly slicked back, and his eyes
took in the Chief without obvious surprise. He wore the black
enameled bars of a First Lieutenant.
"Sir!" The Chief snapped off a crisp salute.
"Adjusting burn and angle," Cortana announced. The
Long-sword and Pelican tilted relative to the moon, Basis, on
the viewscreen. "That should give you a little more than one gee
on the deck."
The lieutenant settled to the floor and lazily returned the
salute. "I'm Haverson," he said. He looked John over with interest.
"You are the Master Chief, SPARTAN-117."
"Yes, sir." The Chief was surprised. Most people, even experi-
enced officers, had difficulty distinguishing one Spartan from
another. How had this young officer so quickly identified him?
The Chief saw the round insigne on the man's shoulder—the
black and silver eagle wings over a trio of stars. Inscribed above
the eagle wings were the Latin words SEMPER VIGILANS—Ever
Vigilant.
Haverson was with the Office of Naval Intelligence.
"Good," Haverson said. He glanced quickly at Locklear and
Johnson. "With you, Chief, we might have a chance." He reached
into the hatch and pulled another person onto the Longsword.
This last person was a woman, and she wore the flight-suit of a
pilot. Her dirty blond hair was tucked into a cap. She saluted the
Chief. "Petty Warrant Officer Polaski, requesting permission to
come aboard, Master Chief."
"Granted," he said and returned her salute.
Stenciled onto her coveralls was a flaming fist over a red
bull's-eye, the insignia of the Twenty-third Naval Air Squadron.
Although the Chief had never met Polaski, she was from the
same chalk as Captain Carol Rawley, callsign "Foehammer." If
Polaski was anything like Foehammer, she would be a skilled
and fearless pilot.