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56
HALO: FIRST STRIKE
Their momentum is carrying them within range. Tracking . ..
locked on .. . maneuvering." Tiny puffs of fire overlapped the
teardrop-shaped Seraph fighters as they exploded. Haverson
laughed. "Bull's-eye!"
"Forward weapons systems and shields are disabled,"
Cor-tana said.
"The doors are open," Polaski murmured. "We're invited in.
It'd be damn impolite to say no."
The flagship filled the display.
"Collision imminent," Cortana warned.
Sergeant Johnson got to his feet. The Chief knew better and
stayed where he was on the deck. He grabbed on to the Ser-
geant's leg.
Polaski cut the engines and hit the maneuvering thrusters. The
Longsword spun 180 degrees. With the ship now pointed back-
ward, she pushed the throttle to maximum, and the engines thun-
dered in full overload. The hull strained against the sudden
reverse deceleration.
The Chief hung on to the floor with one hand; with the other
he held on to the Sergeant and kept him from flying across
the ship.
Polaski changed the viewscreen to a spilt view—fore and aft.
She maneuvered with the ship's thrusters, adjusting their ap-
proach to the launch bay opening. Onscreen the small opening
grew larger alarmingly fast. "Hang on—hang on!"
The engines whined and the ship slowed... but it wasn't going
to be enough.
They entered the launch bay at three hundred meters per sec-
ond. Flames from the Longsword's engines washed over Grunt
technicians as they vainly attempted to scramble out of the way.
Their methane-filled atmosphere tanks popped like firecrackers.
Polaski cut the power. The ship slammed into the wall.
The Master Chief, Sergeant Johnson, and Locklear crashed
into the pilot's and ops seats in a heap.
Grunts approached the ship with plasma pistols drawn, the
weapons glowing green as the aliens overcharged them. Cove-
nant Engineers struggled to put out fires and repair burst conduits.
"Shield reenergizing in place over the launch bay," Cortana