Halo Lighting System First Strike Games - Manual (Page 45)

ERIC NYLUND 41
the muscles in his braced legs so his motions didn't send them
into a tumble in the zero gravity.
The Longsword was a sitting duck for those Covenant cruisers.
Cortana couldn't fire the engines until he got on board. Even if he
and the pods survived the thruster wash, any evasive maneuver
Cortana made would snap him and his cargo like the end of a
whip.
The Covenant ships were within firing range, lined up per-
fectly to destroy the Longsword.
Three missiles streaked though space, impacting on the star-
board side of the lead Covenant ship. The explosion splashed
harmlessly across its shield, which shimmered silver as it dissi-
pated the energy.
The Chief turned his head and saw the Pelican blast off from
the asteroid where it had been hiding. It rocketed on a perpen-
dicular course toward the two Covenant ships.
The cruisers came about, apparently more interested in hunt-
ing live prey than the motionless Longsword.
The Chief gave one final yank on the tether. He and the pods
flew through the aft hatch and crashed into the deck of the
Longsword.
Cortana immediately sealed the hatch and fired the engines.
The Chief climbed into the system-ops seat just as they accel-
erated and turned toward the cruisers. He activated the weapons
systems.
The two Covenant cruisers powered their engines and pursued
the Pelican, but it had entered a dense region of the debris field,
dodged a chunk of metal and rock, dived over an iceball, and
charged through clouds of shattered alien metal. The Covenant
fired: Energy blasts impacted on the debris and missed the Pelican.
"Whoever's piloting that Pelican knows their stuff," Cor-
tana said.
"We owe them a favor." John fired the Longsword's guns, and
tiny silver dots punctuated the trailing Covenant cruiser's shields.
"Let's settle that debt."
"You realize," Cortana said, "that we really can't damage
those Covenant ships."
The cruiser slowed and turned toward them.
"We'll see about that. Get me a firing solution for the missiles.