Once everyone boarded, Mesmerin and K'Tath dashed aboard, and K'Tath headed for the bridge. "Everyone, hang on to something!" he shouted as the boarding ramp closed, and K'Tath took over piloting the ship and put it on course for the atmosphere. Just before breaking the clouds, a loud whooshing sound was heard, and at Gilliam Circle, a Shiva Nuclear Missile struck, and detonated, the explosion being seen in orbit. Just before impact, however, for a split second, a ship was detected going to warp from above the spaceport. As K'Tath reached orbit, the blockade of UNSC ships was seen.
"What were you concerned about, Cobalt?" K'Tath asked.