Halo_ First Strike - Eric S. Nylund [105]
He pointed to a ship half obscured in the plasma fog: the carrier, intact, with a cloud of gnats swarming about it. Seraph fighters dived and intercepted plasma and meteor bolts that got too close. The resulting fireballs deflected the impacts from the hull.
"She's got a smart Captain," the Admiral muttered. "So we can't use the same trick twice." Five explosions rattled Ascendant Justice, and the ambient blue light on the bridge flickered.
"Meteor impact," Cortana replied. "We just lost plasma turrets two and three. All functionality on decks eight and below has been lost. The structural integrity of this ship, sir, is in danger of imminent collapse."
"Another minute, Cortana," the Admiral told her and continued to search the tactical display. "We either take out that carrier here—where their shields can't regenerate—or we face them in normal space."
He tapped the TAC map. "Gotcha! Cortana, come about to zero-three-zero by one-four-five, calculate the fastest acceleration and deceleration burns this ship can handle to get us to this object, and move this ship ASAP."
"Yes, Admiral."
Lieutenant Haverson looked at the map and located what the Admiral pointed at. "That object is just part of a Covenant ship, the aft section of a cruiser."
The Admiral nodded. "Exactly, Lieutenant. Cortana, how's the structural integrity of our ship's nose?"
"Sir? The nose?" Cortana paused, then reported, "Intact, sir. Most of the damage has been to the lateral—"
"Bring us into direct contact with that hunk of metal, Cortana."
"Aye, sir," Cortana replied.
Ascendant Justice accelerated toward the broken Covenant ship, and then slowed. The two warships touched; there was a slow grinding noise that echoed along the ship's frame.
"Contact," Cortana reported.
"Perfect," Admiral Whitcomb replied. "New course threetwo-zero by two-two-zero. Flank speed. Lieutenant, charge any plasma turret we have left. Cortana, get this ship ready for full reverse power."
Ascendant Justice—Gettysburg turned and moved toward the Covenant carrier—pushing the broken hull of the other ship before them.
They accelerated on a collision course.
The turrets on the Covenant carrier heated to white hot—but they held their fire. "Eight thousand kilometers to enemy ship," Cortana announced. "Hold this course, Cortana." "Six thousand kilometers, sir." "Stand by," the Admiral ordered and gripped the railing again with his sweating hands.
"Two thousand kilometers."
"Full reverse power now!"
The engines rumbled, and the hull of Ascendant Justice shuddered.
The wrecked Covenant ship on their nose screeched as its momentum carried it along at the faster velocity. It pulled free of Ascendant Justice ... tumbled directly toward the enemy carrier.
"Mass impact on carrier in four seconds," Cortana said. "Three seconds."
The carrier fired its plasma at the incoming mass. Flames heated the wreckage, punched though its armor and hull, and melted the alloy.
The mass, however, continued forward, shattered and molten— but its velocity was undiminished. It crashed into the carrier and sent it spinning to starboard.
The carrier's hull breached along a dozen rents, and atmosphere vented and fanned the red-hot metal into gold flames. The launch bays chained with explosions.
"Fire all weapons, Lieutenant!"
Ascendant Justice fired its remaining turrets. Plasma cut into the carrier and sliced it to the core. Every deck flashed with fire and became an inferno.
"That's the best we can do," Admiral Whitcomb whispered. "Cortana, get us out of here. Transition to normal space." Cortana's holographic silhouette blackened with swarming calculations. "Engaging Slipspace matrix."
Blotches of inky black welled within the sea of fire. Tiny stars winked on within those pools of darkness. The plasma-charged atmosphere faded, and the enemy ships ablaze vanished.
"Cut all power to the engines," the Admiral ordered. Admiral Whitcomb gazed at the blackness and stars.