0120 HOURS MARCH 1, 2526 (MILITARY CALENDAR) \ UNSC

CRUISER EVEREST \ FLAGSHIP BATTLE GROUP X-RAY \ EPSILON

INDI SYSTEM BRIDGE LOG (PRIMARY, VIDEO, SPATIAL

ENHANCEMENTS=TRUE)

Vice Admiral Cole paced the bridge of the Everest , followed by two adjutant commanders. The two dozen bridge stations were manned by officers and their assistants—all to coordinate the activities of the flagship and the thirty-nine other vessels comprising Battle Group X-Ray as they approached Harvest.

The colony world glowed blue and filled the view screens that stretched floor to ceiling in the cavernous command center.

Cole paused before a translucent screen the size of a blackboard, and with deft motions he zoomed back and forth through the spatial planes of this star system.

As the battle group descended below the planetary plane a blip appeared on screen.

―One ship," Cole murmured. He tapped the tactical display and the image enlarged.

The Covenant warship had sweeping organic curves, an odd purple phosphorescence, and was

patterned with glowing red ovals and lines—the whole thing looked like a sleeping deep-sea

creature of gigantic proportions.

―Two kilometers long, one wide," Cole said. ―Energy readings off scale."

―Increase battle group velocity to three quarters full," Cole told one of his adjutant officers.

He pulled the perspective back on the tactical screen so Harvest was the size of a baseball, and then plotted a parabolic course past the enemy to slingshot around the world.

―Navigation inputs completed," Cole told the Everest ‘s AI.

Named Sekmet, the ship‘s AI‘s hologram was a lion-headed woman dressed in white Egyptian robes.

―Transmit burn vectors to the fleet," Cole ordered.

―Aye, sir," Sekmet answered, her cat eyes flashing green and gold.

Forty comets flared in the dark as the group accelerated toward the Covenant vessel parked in orbit over Harvest.

―Fire at will," Cole said. There was no emotion in his voice. He stared at the tactical board, watching and waiting.

MAC rounds streaked through space—strikes of molten tungsten alloy impacted the Covenant shields.

The veil of energy shook about the alien vessel and shimmered and resonated . . . but not a gram of metal touched its hull.

Hundreds of Archer missiles fired and filled the vacuum between the opposing forces—blanketing the enemy ship with fire and thunder . . . but not a shred of shrapnel scarred its surface.

Two curved lines on the Covenant flanks wavered and pulled free, oscillating through space.

They enveloped ships on either side of Battle Group X-ray.

Plasma tore through two meters of titanium-A armor like a blowtorch through tissue paper.

Explosions boiled through their interiors—blasting out the aft sections, blooming with white-hot secondary fusion detonations as reactors went supercritical . . . leaving smears of fire and burning dust where a moment before there had been two UNSC destroyers.

Officers scrambled to COM stations to relay reports from the fleet.

―Nukes have no effect on the vessel, sir," and one officer shouted.

― Sacramento is down, as is Lance Held High !"

Vice Admiral Cole remained impassive at his tactical board.

The Covenant ship fired again, plasma lines searing space, boiling titanium and steel, vaporizing the fragile flesh and bone contained within.

―The Tharsis , Austerlitz , and Midway destroyed. My God!!"

Cole squinted at the energy signatures oscillating on the display before him.

― Campo Grande is gone! The Virginia Capes , too."

―Sound the retreat," one officer screamed.

―Belay that order," Cole barked without looking up.

The fleet arced about the apogee of their parabolic course and engines flared as they came about the dark side of Harvest. The scattered debris of seven destroyers, however, continued on their previous trajectories, sparks and swirls of molten alloy that faded into the night.

Cole jotted down calculations . . . and frowned.

―Damage and casualty report, sir." One of his adjutant officers offered him a data pad.

Cole waved it away.

He leaned closer to his display and drew a curve, numbers scrolling alongside his line as it circled about Harvest—and intercepted the enemy vessel.

Cole nodded and finally glanced up.

His bridge officers looked to him and seemed to absorb some of the vice admiral‘s implacable self-possession.

―Open alpha FLEETCOM channel," he ordered.

―Open, sir."

―Accept new course inputs," Cole said. ―Accelerate to flank speed. Ready another salvo of MAC

rounds. Sekmet, we need an Archer missile solution on target 0.1 seconds after those MACs—then a second firing solution for a salvo of nuclear detonations 0.2 seconds after initial impact."

Sekmet blinked. ―Understood, Admiral. Threading multiple processing and crosschecking matrices between fleet AIs. Working . . ."

Cole‘s hands came up in a gesture that seemed part contemplation and part prayer.

―Firing solutions acquired," Sekmet announced.

―Input solutions. Slave master-firing control to Everest , and lock," Cole ordered.

―How many of the Archers, sir?" the Chief Weapons officer asked. ―How many Shivas?"

Cole glared at the man like he was crazy. ―All of them, Lieutenant."

―Aye, sir. Solutions locked and ready to fire on your order."

Cole nodded and laced his hands behind his back. He studied the tactical board as Battle Group X-ray inched along their new trajectory.

The UNSC ships accelerated about the curve of Harvest, and the sun rose and blazed across the view screens.

The Covenant ship waited for them—plasma lines heating and flaring through space on an intercept course.

―Prepare to launch missiles," Cole ordered. There was steel in his tone. ―Release targeting and fire control of the MACs to Sekmet."

He watched as the deadly plasmas sped toward them.

―Initiate firing sequence—now!"

Dozens of rumbles shook Everest .

―Archer and Shiva missiles away, sir!"

Covenant plasma, so bright it seemed to ignite the black fabric of space, hit the fleet and burned the Constantinople , Troy , and melted the prow of the Lowrentz .

More than a thousand missiles left crisscrossing exhaust trails as they sped toward their target. The larger Shiva missiles fell behind the swarm.

Explosions spread throughout the fleet as new plasma ejected from the Covenant ship—destroying the Maelstrom, the Waterloo, and the Excellence.

―MAC system power at maximum," Sekmet announced. ―Automatic firing sequence to commence

in three seconds . . . two . . . one."

The remaining ships in Battle Group X-ray fired their magnetic accelerator cannons—twenty-seven simultaneous lightning strikes that flashed across space and struck the Covenant vessel.

The alien ship blurred behind its shields . . . opaque for a split second.

The Archer warheads hit, splashing fire and fury across the curve of her flank.

And then dozens of new suns ignited—a corona of manmade nuclear violence. It was a cloud of destruction that writhed and contorted and clawed at the enemy ship for a full three seconds as the UNSC group continued at flank speed toward their target.

―Alter course, sir?" a commander asked.

―Remain on target," Cole said.

And in a whisper so low that while was it picked up by the bridge log microphone, no one else could have possibly heard, Cole said: ― Fix bayonets."

The fleet hurled toward the inferno boiling about the alien ship.

The stern of the Covenant ship deformed—blasted outward as the interior shuttered and imploded, and ejected a double cone of blue-white hot plasma.

The bridge crew erupted into wild cheers.

―Course correction," Cole said. ―Starboard group about to 060 by 030. Port group to 270 by 270."

―New course transmitted and acknowledged," Sekmet replied.

The fleet split and veered from the spreading fields of churning destruction.

―Bring us about to search for survivors," Cole ordered.

He closed his eyes, took in a deep breath, and then refocused on the tactical board. Cole touched an icon and watched as the names of destroyed vessels—and the thousands of men and woman who had served and died under his command—scrolled into view.