A dull thump echoed from the aft section.
"Stand by," Cortana said. "There's a problem with the primary engines—a power drop occurred just as I engaged."
On the bridge displays the external cameras turned and focused on the aft hull of Ascendant Justice. A snakelike plasma conduit came into focus. Cortana adjusted the image, and a three-meter-wide hole in the conduit snapped into view. Streamers of blue-white gas vented from the breach.
"That's our main drive conduit," Cortana said. "It's taken a hit. I'm shutting down engines to conserve power."
The Master Chief squinted. "That was no plasma hit," he mut?tered. "It was too precise and too inconvenient—this had to be sabotage."
Admiral Whitcomb scowled. "Chief, take your team and pre?pare for a zero-gee repair of the plasma conduit."
"Yes, sir."
Polaski stepped forward. "I'll go too, sir," she said. Locklear grasped her by the arm and tried to pull her back, but she shrugged his hand off. "I can pilot the dropship—get the Spartan team in and out faster."
The Admiral narrowed his eyes, assessing the young woman. "Very well, Warrant Officer." He added so softly that the Chief almost missed it: "Too many damned heroes in this war."
Polaski turned to Locklear, handed him back his bandanna, and whispered, "Hang on to that for me, Corporal. I'll pick it up when I get back."
Locklear's hand clenched, then relaxed. He took the token, nodded, and looked away. "I'll be here," he said and tied it around his arm.
"Chief," Admiral Whitcomb said. "Make sure you come back alive. That's an order, son."
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
TIME:DATE RECORD [[ERROR]]ANOMALY\Date unknown \ Captured Covenant dropship near flagship Ascendant Justice, in anomalous Slipspace bubble.
The faintly blue luminous walls of the Covenant dropship pressed in, which made John feel slightly claustrophobic. It was ironic when he stopped to think about it, because he was always inside his skintight armor. His fellow Spartans sat in the bay be?side him, motionless.
Fred, designated Blue-Two on this mission, was John's second in command. He had fought in more than 120 campaigns, was a great leader and a quick thinker. Sometimes he took the respon?sibility of his command too seriously, though, empathizing too deeply with any wounded member of his team.
Li, Blue-Three, was the team's zero-gee combat specialist. He had trained extensively with microgravity equipment and mar?tial arts at the UNSC's extreme-conditions facility on Chiron in orbit about Mars. He was as much at home in free fall as the rest of them were on solid land, and John was glad to have him on this mission.
Anton, Blue-Four, had John worried. He spent most of his life with his feet firmly planted on the ground. He'd cross-trained in tracking, camouflage, and stealth, and had been used almost ex?clusively on ground-based operations. More than once he had expressed discomfort in zero-gee situations.
Will, Blue-Five, was quiet, but had never failed to complete his mission. He wasn't always that way, though. When he was younger he was the one with the jokes and riddles that kept the team's spirits high. Something had hardened in him over the