Halo_ First Strike - Eric S. Nylund [127]
"Not Earth," Cortana said. "Doctor Halsey's course points to no known system in my database." The Admiral scrutinized the forward screen: Jiles's face, the
empty star field, and the frozen video of Dr. Halsey and Locklear in the launch bay. "I want Corporal Locklear on the bridge ten minutes ago. Lieutenant Haverson, have Cortana locate him. Then I want you personally to escort that ODST up here."
Haverson swallowed. "Yes, sir." He marched to the elevator, and Cortana told him, "He's on B-Deck, Lieutenant, medical storage. He's not answering my COM page." The elevator shut.
"Chief, you're on the Engineering console," the Admiral said. "Cover the NAV station, too."
"Yes, sir." He moved to the Engineering station's monitors. There were thirty-five minutes to go on the shakedown cycle of the reactors and engines.
"Contact," Cortana said. "Bearing zero-three-zero on the solar plane. One—correction, two—Covenant cruisers. They're not moving. Maybe they haven't spotted us."
"It never rains when it can monsoon," the Admiral declared. "They can't help but see us, Cortana, with all the radio chatter, ships, and leaking radiation. I bet they're just figuring out how best to kill us."
Governor Jiles turned to someone off screen, and then said, "Admiral Whitcomb, given this new development I would like to evacuate my people off the Gettysburg and out of harm's way."
"Of course, Governor. Do what you have to."
The number three screen snapped off, and the stars reappeared.
"And I'll do what I have to, too," Admiral Whitcomb said. "Cortana, halt the reactor and engine shakedown."
"Sir? There are risks—"
"I want them online now. Don't tell me what the risks are. Just doit." "Yes, sir," she said. "Master Chief, get this crate ready to move and stay on your
toes. We'll need every trick in the book to outmaneuver two cruisers."
"Affirmative, Admiral." The Chief observed the shakedown cycle halt and Ascendant Justice's reactors restart. Radiation indicators redlined, and then dropped to a hairbreadth ... which was technically considered safe. The Gettysburg's engines shuddered to life. The Chief felt the vibration though the deck half a kilometer away. "Reactors are hot, sir," he reported.
The Admiral watched as Jiles's fleet of single ships and technicians in jet packs abandoned the Gettysburg, swarming across the dark of space back to the safety of their asteroid. "Rats leaving a sinking ship?" he wondered aloud.
The Master Chief wasn't sure if that was a question directed at him, but he decided to reply anyway. "They're just men who want to live, sir."
The Admiral nodded.
"Covenant cruiser accelerating," Cortana announced. "Bearing on a vector otrtsystem. It's transitioning to Slipspace."
"Master Chief, get this tub moving. Now! Bring us up to half maximum speed."
"Aye, sir." He tapped in commands. "Answering one half forward." The radiation warning on Ascendant Justice's reactor flickered, but stabilized and subsided.
The combined mass of the two attached ships groaned as their recently repaired superstructures overcame their inertia.
"Heat up our plasma turrets, Cortana."
"Aye s—" Her translucent lavender hologram faded to ice blue. "Sir, additional contacts at system's edge. Three. No—additional transitions from Slipspace; counting eighteen—now thirty Covenant ships of various classes. Positions zero-three-zero. Zeronine-one, one-eight-zero... Sir, they have us enveloped."
The star chart vanished in a wink, and a map of the Eridanus system appeared with tiny triangles representing Covenant ships now encircling the perimeter. The map turned to a side profile and revealed half a dozen additional ships scattered along the nadir and zenith of the system.
Admiral Whitcomb stared at the map and shook his head. "You know the story of the Alamo, Chief?" "Yes, sir. A famous siege with a handful of defenders holding off overwhelming forces."
The Admiral smiled. "Texan defenders, Chief—there's a big difference. Colonel William Barrett Travis with one hundred fifty-five men held off more than two