“So that’s good,” said Lamb. “It means we’re on the right track.”
	“So far. But I am . . .”
	Usze’s voice trailed off. Slowly the Sangheili rose to his feet, and when Lamb started to ask him what was wrong, Usze promptly silenced him.
	“We are not alone,” Usze finally whispered, smoothly removing his plasma sword from against his thigh and immediately activating it. Power rippled up and down the blade. Holt lifted his battle rifle in response, scanning the immediate surroundings through its sight.
	“Who else is here?” asked Lamb quietly.
	“I am uncertain. But there is—”
	Suddenly Holt shouted, “There!” and pointed toward a row of trees that was a short distance away. Directly in front of them, the air distorted and pinched together, before four pockets of light snapped into existence. To Lamb, it was immediately clear that it was some sort of localized phasing or teleportation portal.
	Something was emerging from each portal, and although it had the general shape of a biped, even a human, it was clearly not anything of the sort.

Hunters in the Dark Ch 11