“MAC capacitors charging,” the weapons officer announced.

The Covenant ship turned its side toward the Commonwealth.

“Yes,” the Captain murmured. “Give me a bigger target.”

Pinpoints of blue light glowed and then flared along the alien hull.

The tactical view screens on the nose of the Commonwealth went dead.

John heard sizzling overhead—then the muffled thumps of explosive decompressions.

“More pulse laser hits,” the ops officer reported. “Armor in section three through seven down to four centimeters. Navigation dish destroyed. Hull breaches on decks two, five, and nine. We have a leak in the port fuel tanks.” The Lieutenant’s hand shakily danced over the controls. “Pumping fuel to starboard reverse tanks. Sealing sections.”

John shifted on his feet. He had to move. Act. Standing here—unable to get to his squad, not doing anything—was counter to every fiber of his being.

“MAC at one hundred percent,” the weapons officer shouted. “Ready to fire!”

“Fire!” Captain Wallace ordered.

The lights on the bridge dimmed and the Commonwealth shuddered. The MAC bolt launched through space—a red-hot metal slug moving at thirty thousand meters per second.

The Covenant ship’s engines flared to life and the ship veered away—

—Too late. The heavy round closed and slammed into the target’s prow.

The Covenant ship reeled backward through space. Its energy shields shimmered and glowed lightning-bright... then flickered, dimmed, and went out.

The bridge crew let out a victory cheer.

Except Dr. Halsey. John watched the view screen as she adjusted the camera controls and zoomed in on the Covenant ship.

The vessel’s erratic spinning slowed and it came to a stop. The ship’s nose was crumpled and atmosphere vented into vacuum. Tiny fires flickered inside. The ship slowly came about and started back toward them—gaining speed.

“It should have been destroyed,” she whispered.

Tiny red blobs appeared on the hull of the Covenant ship. They glowed and intensified and drifted together, collecting along the lateral line of the craft.

Captain Wallace said, “Make ready another heavy round.”

“Aye aye,” the weapons officer said. “Charge at thirty percent. Firing solution online, sir.”

“No,” Dr. Halsey said. “Evasive maneuvers, Captain. Now!”

“I won’t have my command second-guessed, ma’am.” The Captain turned to face her. “And with respect, Doctor, second-guessed by someone with no combat experience.” He stiffened and placed his hand behind his back. “I cannot have you removed from the bridge because the bulkheads are sealed... but another outburst like that, Doctor, and I will have you gagged.”

John shot a quick glance to Dr. Halsey. Her face flushed—he couldn’t tell from shame or rage.

“MAC at fifty percent charge.”

The red light continued to collect along the lateral line of the Covenant ship until it was a solid band. It brightened.

“Eighty percent charge.”

“They’re turning, sir,” the nav officer announced. “She’s coming to starboard.”

“Ninety-five percent charge—one hundred,” the weapons officer announced.

“Send them to Hades, Lieutenant. Fire.”

The lights dimmed again. The Commonwealth shuddered and a bolt of thunder and fire tore through the blackness.

The Covenant ship stood its ground. The bloodred light that had pooled on its lateral line burst forth—streaked toward the Commonwealth, passing the MAC round a mere kilometer away. The red light glowed and pulsed almost as if it were liquid; its edges roiled and fluttered. It elongated into a teardrop of ruby light five meters long.

“Evasive maneuvers,” Captain Wallace cried. “Emergency thrusters to port!”

The Commonwealth slowly moved out of the trajectory path of the Covenant’s energy weapon.

The MAC round struck the Covenant vessel amidships. Its shield shimmered and bubbled... then disappeared. The MAC round punched through the craft and sent it spinning out of control.

The inbound ball of light moved, too. It started tracking the Commonwealth.

“Engines—full power astern,” the Captain ordered. The Commonwealth rumbled and slowed.

The light should have sped past them; instead, it sharply arced and struck her port amidships.

The air filled with a popping and sizzling. The Commonwealth listed to starboard, then rolled completely over and continued to tumble.

“Stabilize,” the Captain cried. “Starboard thrusters.”

“Fire reported in sections one through twenty,” the ops officer said, panic creeping into his voice. “Decks two through seven in section one... have melted, sir. They’re gone.”

It grew noticeably hotter on the bridge. Sweat beaded on John’s back and trickled down his spine. He had never felt so helpless. Were his teammates below decks alive or dead?

“All port armor destroyed. Decks two through five in sections three, four, and five, are now out of contact, sir. It’s burning through us!”

Captain Wallace stood without saying a word. He stared at their one remaining view screen.

Dr. Halsey stepped forward. “Respectfully, Captain, I suggest that you alert the crew to get on respirator packs. Give them thirty seconds then vent the atmosphere on all decks, except the bridge.”

The COM officer looked to the Captain.

“Do it,” the Captain said. “Sound the alert.”

“Deck thirteen destroyed,” the ops officer announced. “Fire is getting close the reactor. Hull structure starting to buckle.”

“Vent atmosphere now,” Captain Wallance ordered.

“Aye aye,” the ops officer replied.

There was the sound of thumping through the hull... then nothing.

“Fire is dying out,” the ops officer said. “Hull temperature cooling—stabilizing.”

“What the hell did they hit us with?” Captain Wallace demanded.

“Plasma,” Dr. Halsey replied. “But not any plasma we know... they can actually guide its trajectory through space, without any detectable mechanism. Amazing.”

“Captain,” the navigator said. “Alien ship is pursuing.”

The Covenant vessel—a red-rimmed hole punched through its center—turned and started toward the Commonwealth.

“How... ?” Captain Wallace said unbelievingly. He quickly regained his wits. “Ready another MAC heavy round.”

The weapons officer slowly said, “MAC system destroyed, Captain.”

“We’re sitting ducks, then,” the Captain murmured.

Dr. Halsey leaned against the brass railing. “Not quite. The Commonwealth carries three nuclear missiles, correct, Captain?”

“A detonation this close would destroy us as well.”

She frowned and cupped her hand to her chin, thinking.

“Excuse me, sir,” John said. “The alien’s tactics thus far have been unnecessarily vicious—like those of an animal. They didn’t have to take that second MAC round while they fired at us. But they wanted to position themselves to fire. In my opinion sir, they would stop and engage anything that challenged them.”

The Captain looked to Dr. Halsey.

She shrugged and then nodded. “The Longsword interceptors?”

Captain Wallace turned his back to them and covered his face with his one hand. He sighed, nodded, and clicked on the intercom.

“Longsword Squadron Delta, this is the Captain. Get your ships into the black, boys, and engage the enemy ship. I need you to need to buy us some time.”

“Roger that, sir. We’re ready to launch. On our way.”

“Turn us around,” the Captain told the nav officer. “Give me best speed on a vector toward Chi Ceti Four orbit.”

“Coolant leaks in the reactor, sir,” the ops officer said. “We can push the engines to thirty percent. No more.”

“Give me fifty percent,” he said. He turned to the weapons officer. “Arm one of our Shiva warheads. Set proximity fuse to one hundred meters.”

“Yes, sir.”

The Commonwealth spun about. John felt the change in his stomach and he tightened his grip on the railing. The spinning slowed, stopped, then the ship accelerated.