Halo_ Ghosts of Onyx - Eric S. Nylund [55]
She smiled. There were weapons here after all. She grabbed one of the MA5Bs, slid the clip home, and hefted its reassuring weight.
The Beatrice gently banked and the hull complained.
The viewscreen showed rolling hills, jungle, and sinuous rivers. To the north were white-rock canyons and mesas, as well as columns of smoke and wavering outlines of dust.
Kelly relaxed, not into complacency, but rather because the situation was familiar. In space, she could do nothing but sit and watch—an impossible situation for any Spartan. Now, however, she could analyze the tactical, plan, act, fight, and possibly win.
"Pipe through that distress signal," she told the AI.
"Apologies," it said. "All antennae have been vaporized. I can,
however, give you the approximate location of the last transmission."
"That'll do. Get us there."
The ship banked to starboard.
"Ahead seventeen kilometers is the source of the signal," the AI said.
The corner of the viewscreen magnified. Kelly saw buildings and fields laid out in a
horseshoe shape.
She instantly recognized the three-meter-wide regulation crushed-white-quartz paths, the perfect geometry of the inspection yard, and the long parade grounds. There were obstacle courses to the west. And there was a rifle range. This was a UNSC military camp. There
might be weapons and ammunition there.
"Descend to five thousand meters and circle that camp," she ordered.
"Aye aye," the AI replied.
The Beatrice dropped, and a shudder started from the port wing and continued to thrum.
Kelly would make the most of their aerial reconnaissance. She had a feeling once this bird set down, it would never fly again.
On-screen Kelly saw other objects in the airspace—glints of dull gold.
"Radar contacts," Jerrod said. "Identical configuration to orbital pursuit craft."
A silhouette appeared and magnified on the display: three booms floating about a central sphere.
Dozens of those things circled the camp. They either hadn't noticed them yet, or didn't care.
"Move us off five kilometers to the west."
"Answering new course, aye."
There was a small clearing in the jungle. "Scan local airspace," Kelly said, "and if it's clear, put us down here."
She didn't want to give up the mobility this vessel afforded her, but she wasn't going to stay up here and be a target, either.
If she could camouflage the ship, then she might be able to keep her flight options open.
"No radar contact," the AI informed her. "Glide path calculated." Rumbling came from the undercarriage. "Horizontal attitude thrusters partially functional. Make ready to land."
She went aft to see if there was anything else she could salvage. From the mess she took plasticized blocks of F-rations and three jugs of water. She glanced into the engine compartment. Her armor's radiation counter clicked wildly. The plasma coils were half melted.
She returned to the bridge.
"Ma'am?" the AI said, uncertainty creeping into its voice. "Will you be taking me as well?"
Dr. Halsey would probably need the AI and it was effective in combat. "You're covered."
"Thank you, ma'am. Touchdown in three seconds."
Kelly watched the screens. There were no fliers. She was going to assume, though, that
they had already spotted her.
There was a bump and the engines whined down.
Kelly yanked the laptop and tossed it into a duffel. She unharnessed the Doctor and
gently threw her over her shoulder. She palmed the release hatch. The door eased down, becoming a gangplank.
The terrain outside was more swamp than meadow. Insects buzzed, but nothing else moved. She ran for the trees, covering the distance in ten long strides.
In the dark of the jungle she set Dr. Halsey against a tree and rechecked her vitals. Still strong and steady.
Kelly scanned the sky. No company.
She considered moving back to the ship and camouflaging it, but that might not be necessary The matte-black stealth craft blended almost perfectly with the shady tree line.
Kelly tried her COM, clicking on the E-Band.
"—expect an immediate threat response. This is automated