Shadows of Reach: A Master Chief Story Page 43
“Damn.” Kelly pointed back toward the Arany Basin, where a handful of specks were just climbing out of the clouds toward the Infinity. “They’re not going to make it.”
John opened a magnification window and saw that the flight included five Pelicans and an Albatross, and Kelly was right. With the tau surge already building, the stragglers were too far down the gravity well to reach the Infinity in time.
And given the likelihood that whatever was coming was a Guardian, Lasky could not wait. The delay would be at least five minutes, precious time that would put the Infinity—and everyone aboard—in grave danger. All six craft abruptly turned around and dived back through the clouds.
“Poor devils,” Van Houte said. “Maybe Lasky can send someone back for them.”
“Negative,” John said. “He can’t risk leading a Guardian back to the Infinity. They’re out of the fight until we end this thing.”
“Yeah,” Fred said. “They’re stuck, all right. But it’s Reach. Maybe it won’t be so bad.”
“How could it not be bad?” Mukai asked. “They could be marooned down there for years.”
“I believe that’s his point,” Halsey said. She turned away from the energy barrier, and the hangar’s security door slammed down behind her, sealing them all inside the white work light. “They’re soldiers. They can survive indefinitely on Reach, and they won’t be alone. I almost envy them.”
John nodded. “Soldiers adapt,” he said. “And there are worse missions than building a home.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to thank everyone who contributed to this book, especially: my first reader, Andria Hayday; my editor, Ed Schlesinger; our copyeditor, Joal Hetherington; our proofreaders, Regina Castillo and Andy Goldwasser; Jeremy Patenaude, Tiffany O’Brien, Jeff Easterling, and all of the great people at 343; and cover artist Chris McGrath. It’s been a pleasure working with you—as always!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Troy Denning is the New York Times bestselling author of more than forty novels, including Halo: Oblivion, Halo: Silent Storm, Halo: Retribution, Halo: Last Light, a dozen Star Wars novels, the Dark Sun: Prism Pentad series, and many bestselling Forgotten Realms novels. A former game designer and editor, he lives in western Wisconsin.
FOR MORE ON THIS AUTHOR:
SimonandSchuster.com/Authors/Troy-Denning
SimonandSchuster.com
@GalleryBooks
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Cover design by Alan Dingman
Cover art by Chris McGrath
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Denning, Troy, author.
Title: Shadows of reach / Troy Denning.
Other titles: At head of title: Halo
Description: Gallery Books trade paperback edition. | New York : Gallery Books, 2020. | Series: Halo | “Based on the bestselling video game for Xbox”
Identifiers: LCCN 2020028886 (print) | LCCN 2020028887 (ebook) | ISBN 9781982143619 (trade paperback) | ISBN 9781982143633 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Halo (Video game)—Fiction. | GSAFD: Science fiction.
Classification: LCC PS3554.E5345 S53 2020 (print) | LCC PS3554.E5345 (ebook) | DDC 813/.54—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020028886
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020028887
ISBN 978-1-9821-4361-9
ISBN 978-1-9821-4363-3 (ebook)