Halo Lighting System First Strike Games User Manual

Page 53

ERIC NYLUND

the bone, and during the action on Halo had been decidedly

negative about the SPARTAN-IIs in general... and the Chief in

particular.

Another man gripped the edge of the hatch and pulled himself

up. He had a plasma pistol strapped to his side and wore a crisp

black uniform. His red hair was neatly slicked back, and his eyes

took in the Chief without obvious surprise. He wore the black

enameled bars of a First Lieutenant.

"Sir!" The Chief snapped off a crisp salute.

"Adjusting burn and angle," Cortana announced. The

Long-sword and Pelican tilted relative to the moon, Basis, on

the viewscreen. "That should give you a little more than one gee

on the deck."

The lieutenant settled to the floor and lazily returned the

salute. "I'm Haverson," he said. He looked John over with interest.

"You are the Master Chief, SPARTAN-117."

"Yes, sir." The Chief was surprised. Most people, even experi-

enced officers, had difficulty distinguishing one Spartan from

another. How had this young officer so quickly identified him?

The Chief saw the round insigne on the man's shoulder—the

black and silver eagle wings over a trio of stars. Inscribed above

the eagle wings were the Latin words

SEMPER VIGILANS

—Ever

Vigilant.

Haverson was with the Office of Naval Intelligence.

"Good," Haverson said. He glanced quickly at Locklear and

Johnson. "With you, Chief, we might have a chance." He reached

into the hatch and pulled another person onto the Longsword.

This last person was a woman, and she wore the flight-suit of a

pilot. Her dirty blond hair was tucked into a cap. She saluted the

Chief. "Petty Warrant Officer Polaski, requesting permission to

come aboard, Master Chief."

"Granted," he said and returned her salute.

Stenciled onto her coveralls was a flaming fist over a red

bull's-eye, the insignia of the Twenty-third Naval Air Squadron.

Although the Chief had never met Polaski, she was from the

same chalk as Captain Carol Rawley, callsign "Foehammer." If

Polaski was anything like Foehammer, she would be a skilled

and fearless pilot.