Halo_ First Strike - Eric S. Nylund [47]
Wagner took in a deep breath. He had prepared for this and he related, as best he could, how the Covenant ships appeared in the system, the valiant efforts of the UNSC fleet defending Reach, how they failed and were systematically destroyed.
"When the Covenant slipped onto the surface of Reach with their tactical forces and took out the orbital-gun generators— that was the end. Well, I saw only the start of the end. They glassed the planet, starting with the poles."
Wagner, who'd two years ago had a third of his body burned by Covenant plasma and not once screamed or shed a tear, paused and blinked away the moisture blurring his vision. "I trained at the Naval Academy on Reach, sir. It was the closest thing I had to a home in the Outer Colonies."
Hood nodded sympathetically.
Ackerson snorted. He pushed away from the table, got up, and moved to Wagner's side. "Save the sentimentality, Lieutenant. You say they glassed Reach. Everything?"
Wagner detected anticipation in the Colonel's tone—as if he wanted the Covenant to have destroyed Reach.
"Sir," Wagner replied. "Before I jumped to Slipspace, I witnessed the poles destroyed, and approximately two thirds of the planet's surface was on fire."
Ackerson nodded, seemingly satisfied with this answer. "So everyone on Reach is gone, then. Vice Admiral Whitcomb. Doctor Halsey, too." He nodded and added, "Such a tremendous waste." There was no sympathy in his voice.
"I could only speculate, sir."
"No need," Ackerson muttered. He returned to his seat.
Strauss sighed. "At least we have your special weapons programs, Ackerson. Halsey's SPARTAN-IIs were such a great sue—"
Ackerson shot the General a look that could have blasted through battle plate. The General halted midsentence and snapped his mouth closed.
Wagner stood absolutely still and stared straight ahead, pretending he hadn't seen such a gross breach of military protocol. A General knuckling under to a junior officer? Something extraordinary had just been revealed—there was some kind of backup plan on a par with the SPARTAN program, and Ackerson was behind it. The Colonel suddenly had a lot of juice.
Wagner continued to feign ignorance—and no matter what, he didn't meet Colonel Ackerson's gaze. If Ackerson suspected that he'd caught on, the bastard would have him erased to prevent his secret from getting back to Section Three.
After what seemed a century of uncomfortable silence, Admiral Hood cleared his throat. "The Pillar of Autumn, Lieutenant Wagner. Was that ship destroyed? Or did she jump? There is no mention in your report."
"She jumped, sir. Telemetry indicates the Autumn was pursued by several enemy ships, however, so her fate can only be speculated upon. I did not mention the Pillar of Autumn in my report, as that ship is on Section Three's Secure List."
"Good." Hood closed his eyes. "Then there is, at least, some hope."
Ackerson shook his head. "With all due respect to my predecessor, Doctor Halsey, the special weapons package on the Pillar hasn't got a chance in hell of accomplishing its mission. You might as well have shot every one of them in the head and gotten it over with."
"That will be enough, Ackerson," Hood said and glowered at him. "Quite enough."
"Sir," Wagner ventured. "The Colonel may be correct... at least in his mission assessment. Our agent on the Pillar of Autumn signaled us before the end. He regrettably reported that a
significant number of Spartans went groundside to defend Reach's orbital guns." "Then they're dead," Ackerson said. "Halsey's freaks have finally lost their luster of invincibility."
Admiral Hood set his jaw. "Doctor Halsey," he said slowly and with deliberate control, "and her Spartans deserve the utmost respect, Colonel." He turned to face him, but Hood stared through Ackerson. "And if you wish to keep your newly acquired position on the Security Council, you will