TIME:DATE RECORD ANOMALYEstimated 0610 hours, September 23,2552 (Military Calendar) Aboard captured Covenant dropship, Epsilon Eridani system, en route tosurface of Reach.

Polaski accelerated the captured dropship to its maximum velocity—just under Mach 1.The craft arced up and joined the long convoy of Covenant ships—troop transports,scavenger drones, and Seraph fighters—as  they descended from a higher orbit down tothe surface. The formation of alien vessels headed straight toward Menachite Mountain.

Covenant communiques scrolled across a screen next to the pilot's seat and then ceased.

"Incoming transmissions from the convoy ... I guess they don't like strays," Polaskimuttered calmly, looking at the Cove.nant calligraphy.

"They're not shooting," the Admiral said, gripping the back of Polaski's seat. "We're fine.Just fly, Warrant Officer." He turned to the Master Chief. "Get 'em ready, son."The Chief nodded and moved aft to the rest of the squad. His three Spartans as well as Lieutenant Haverson, Locklear, and Sergeant Johnson stood over an array of weapons laidout on the deck. Anton ticked "off the inventory: Shotguns, a fuel rod gun, Jackhammer rocket launchers, plasma and HE pistols, and every type of grenade—take your pick."The Chief picked up five clips of ammunition for his MA5B assault rifle, three frag grenades, and a shotgun for close work. Nothing fancy—he wanted to keep it simple so hecould keep one eye on the rest of his team.

184HALO: FIRST STRIKELocklear hefted the fuel rod gun, grunting from the exertion. The weapon glowed an eeriegreen along its fuel casing.

Grace relieved him of the too-heavy weapon and shouldered it with ease.

"Make sure you get a handgun," the Chief told Locklear. "We'll be in close quarters underground.""Roger that," Locklear said.

"We're close," the Admiral called out.

The Master Chief moved up to the cockpit to watch. The line of dropships and drones maneuvered toward a pile of truck-sized stones that had been carved from the mountain.A spiraling hole, ten kilometers across, sat  where Menachite Mountain had once risen majestic and impregnable, covered with forests and glaciers.

It was only a strip mine now, with a single shaft drilled down its center. A Covenantcruiser hovered over the shaft, and the purple glow of a grav lift knifed into the hole.

"That's our LZ," Whitcomb announced. "Polaski, I want you to drive this crate straightdown—but ease up a tad on the en.gines and let their grav beam do the work. It'll take us all the way down to whatever's at the  bottom.""With respect, Admiral," Polaski said, "I'm not sure we'll fit."The Admiral squinted at the hole. "We'll fit," he said. "I have every confidence in you,Warrant Officer. Now make it quick. I don't think anyone topside is going to think us going down there is a good idea.""Yes, sir!" Her eyes locked onto the hole. "No problem, sir."The Master Chief marveled at the Admiral's lack of fear. He trusted the man's judgment;he had been criticized during his campaigns for unorthodox tactics and strategies, but hisinsight had been proven correct each  time. The Master Chief, however, also had observedthat the higher up the chain of command you received your orders, the more likely those orders would de.mand the near impossible.

"Hang on," the Chief called back to his team.

Polaski nosed the Covenant dropship over and plummeted into the dark purplescintillating grav beam. The instant they entered the field, the ship jumped, accelerated,and shuddered into the hole drilled through solid  rock.

ERIC NYLUND 185Cut off from the thin shreds of sunlight above, the ship went dark. The internal runninglights glowed a faint blue.

"We've got no room to maneuver in here," Polaski whispered.

Lieutenant Haverson climbed forward. "Admiral Whitcomb, sir, I see how we can get in—assuming this hole leads somewhere— but it's the other part of your plan that's unclear.What's our exit strategy, sir?"The Admiral's steely glare inned Haverson. "I've got it fig.ured out. You just shoot whenI tell you to and keep it all pppuck.ered up tight. Got it?"Haverson clenched his jaw, looking extremely unsatisfied. "Yes, sir."Polaski focused intently on the walls of the tunnel rushing toward her craft. "Short-rangesensors have a contact," she said. "It looks like the bottom of the shaft. ETA sixty secondsat this speed."The Admiral leaned closer to the Chief and whispered, "We're gonna get hit heavy bwhatever's down there. You make sure you hit them back three times harder. Then yyyouet Anton on point and see if he can't locate your Spartans. I'm guessing they've gone toggground."Before the Chief could reply, the Admiral moved aft and grabbed an assault rifle and twoHE pistols. He clipped plasma and frag grenades to his belt.

"Thirty seconds," Polaski called out. She cut the engines, and the dropship coasted on thegrav beam only. "There's something down there," she said. "Is that sunlight?"The dropship emerged into a titanic room—three kilometers across, circular, with adozen galleries circumscribing the space. Overhead, a holographic sun and a dozenmoons wheeled along its domed ceiling. Except for  the hole drilled into the mountain bythe Covenant, the holographic projection was perfect.

The Admiral scrutinized the room, and his dark eyes locked onto a gathering of Covenantforces on the floor, near one edge of the great room. "There," he said, and pointed. "I makeout about a hundred of them: a few  Elites, Jackals, mostly Grunts. Looks like they'reclearing a cave-in and not ready for company yet. Good.

"Polaski, land us half a kilome'ter from em and then dust off.

186HALO: FIRST STRIKEI want you back in that hole ASAP. Plug it up. We don't want to leave our back door wideopen.""Aye, sir," Polaski replied.

Admiral Whitcomb addressed Li. "You're our rear guard, son. Stay here and guard theship with Polaski. Sorry.""Sir! Yes, sir," Li replied. The Master Chief detected a hint of bitterness in the Spartan'svoice for drawing what he undoubt.edly would think was soft duty.

Their dro ship eased lower until it was a meter above the blue tiles of the room; the sidehatches opppened. The Chief jumped out first, followed by Anton, Lieutenant Haverson, andLocklear. From the hatch on the opposite side leapt the Admiral, Sergeant Johnson, andGrace.

The dropship immediately rose into the hole in the ceiling, far enough in to be shieldedfrom any stray ground fire.

"Move, everyone," the Admiral growled. He pointed at Grace and Locklear. "You two, firelong-range weapons. Everyone else, haul ass. Take them out, people."The Admiral's plan was sound. He wasn't risking the dropship—their only means ofescape—by landing too close to the enemy. They still had the element of surprise; theCovenant would have never anticipated an assault  on the heart of their operation.

But how long would this advantage last? How long before that cruiser blasted theirdropship to atoms? The Covenant were not their most dangerous enemy. Time was.

Grace paused, muscled the fuel rod gun to a............