Cyberpunk: Spartan Walker

Tommy gave a final tug on the retaining cable, and the Master Chief and the cryopod rushed through the rear door of the interceptor and crashed into the fighter's deck.

Cortana immediately closed the hatch and started the engine. When the interceptor began to accelerate and turn around towards the enemy spacecraft, Tommy was arranging the position of the cryopod with the paratroopers, and the Master Chief just climbed into the system operator's seat and started the weapon system.

The two Covenant spacecraft increased their power to chase the Pelican troop carrier, but by this time it had flown into the dense area of ​​debris, dodged a large piece of metal and rock, swooped down from an ice ball, and then rushed Passing piles of shattered alien metal chunks. The Covenant forces opened fire: the energy beam struck the wreckage of the Halo, missing the Pelican.

On the display, Polaski was stunned by the agile evasive movements of the Pelican troop carrier. How can flying skills be so good? she muttered, Can only monsters become captains of the Navy?

No, there are many captains in the Navy, Cortana said, but there is only one Captain Jacob Keyes.

We owe him a favor. The Master Chief operated the interceptor's auxiliary system, which could reduce the consumption of Cortana's computing power. She had more important things to do. He began to fire with the long sword machine's machine gun. The shells hit the shield of the enemy ship tracking the Pelican troop carrier, leaving small silver dots. Then let's return the favor to him.

You know, Cortana said, we can't actually damage those Covenant ships.

The cruiser slowed and turned back toward them.

Then let's see if we can get hurt. Give me a plan for launching missiles. I want the missiles to hit the enemy's plasma cannons before they fire. In this way, part of the shield function of the enemy spacecraft must be limited for a short time. weakened.

It's being formulated, Cortana replied, but lacking precise data, I have to base my calculations on assumptions. A long list of mathematical operations appeared on the weapon control panel, Give me fire control.

Polaski pressed hard on the override button on the fire system. Make them look good, she said.

As the Covenant ship's plasma cannons turned to lock on them, their heat rising, Cortana fired all the ASGM-10 missiles on the Longsword at once.

The missile drags white tails and snakes towards the target.

let's go!

The Longsword aircraft immediately accelerated and rushed into the wreckage area along the path of the Pelican troop carrier. The camera on the tail of the aircraft showed that the missile was speeding towards the target. The enemy used anti-missile laser weapons to intercept, and three missiles were hit and exploded, turning into red fireballs. The enemy's plasma cannon was now at fever pitch - about to fire - when the last missile finally hit its target, sending the explosion spreading along the hull.

Tommy, who floated to the side of the Master Chief, looked at the display. At first he thought the missile hit the shield, but later he saw clearly: the explosion actually occurred inside the shining shield.

The plasma cannons fired, and the energy they fired was immediately absorbed by a large cloud of dust and steam surrounding the ship. The dark red plasma energy continued to expand like a balloon in the ship's shield, causing the spacecraft's detectors to become blurry. The spacecraft tilted to the port side and suddenly became blind.

That should keep them busy for a while, Cortana said.

The Long Sword aircraft flew along an arc line under a half-kilometer-wide metal plate - at this time, a plasma beam happened to hit the panel, and the panel burned, making a crackling sound while constantly rotating.

Maybe that's not enough, Cortana muttered. Better let me do the driving. The autopilot kicked in, and the controls jerked out of Polaski's hands. The long sword machine's afterburner turned on, and it accelerated towards a pile of rocks. Cortana drove the fighter plane swaying all the way, with only a few meters between the machine body and the uneven surface of the asteroid.

Tommy held on to the seat with one hand and used the other to hold on to the bulkhead. He moved the scanner's display to the display in the center of the console and saw the two closest ships of the Covenant force advancing in the direction of him and the Pelican troop carrier.

The two UNSC aircraft can hide in the halo wreckage area for a few more minutes, but their fuel will soon run out, and they will have no choice but to sit and wait for death.

The cryopod has been recovered, and they must find a way to break through the encirclement of the Covenant cruiser and return to the Truth and Harmony. Tommy had Cortana conduct a thorough scan of the system, hoping to find something - something that would give them a tactical advantage.

But no, it’s impossible to think about the problem from a tactical point of view. Doing so is undoubtedly asking for death. With such a disparity in strength between the enemy and ourselves, there was no tactical advantage that could enable him to win this battle. He had to change his thinking - change his strategy.

He began scanning the massive Covenant flagship—the key was there.

It depends on it to turn the tide of the battle and defeat the enemy.

He pressed the button on the communications system and greeted the Pelican. Captain Keyes, rush to that location as quickly as possible. He directly marked a navigation point on the monitor at the Covenant flagship, and marked the rough route with an arrow.

Let's go there, Cortana, Tommy said, tapping the navigation point with his fingers. Fly as fast as you can.

The long sword machine rolled to the right and flew straight towards the base star. As the overload increased, Tommy's elbow joint made a groan-like crunching sound.

Do you really know what you're going to do? Cortana asked. I mean, we're ramming head-first into the largest and most dangerous Covenant ship in the galaxy. I guess it's It's just part of a reckless and simple plan of yours.

Tommy felt a little uncomfortable being told that, but he still calmly replied: That's right.

Oh, well, sit still, Cortana said. The Longsword aircraft rolled to the port side and dived under a rock, with a huge explosion coming from the tail. It seems that your 'plan' has attracted their attention. I saw six Covenant spacecraft all running at full speed to chase us.

Where's the Pelican?

Still there, Cortana reported. It's under heavy attack, but it's heading towards the waypoint, certainly slower than us.

Adjust our speed to reach the target at the same time as it. Let us know when we are close enough for safe docking.

The Longsword slowed down, tilting sometimes to starboard and sometimes to port, laser fire flashing around the observation window.