"Clayton Emery - Descent FreeSpace - A Thousand Years" - читать интересную книгу автора (Emery Clayton)

deploy point. Instinctively Atsuko grabbed her joystick.
"Tigers, this is Admiral American Horse. Listen up." Cool raspy tones, always calm.
"CivComтАЩs sent a coded message: coded so GTA canтАЩt intercept. WeтАЩre to axe the two
GTA cruisers. ThatтАЩs right: the *TERRAN* cruisers. GTA insists on containing the Shivans
right here because our jump node opens a back door straight to Earth. The GTA cruisers
hug the jump point, but more Shivans are hopping in minute by minute. SomethingтАЩs going to
pop soon. We all know the LDF doesnтАЩt have the ordnance to stop the Shivs or to slam the
jump node shut. So, at this moment, Laramite combat engineers have sneaked aboard
JUSTICE and RETRIBUTION to plant jet-axe charges -- we hope. If we implode the cruisers
and nav buoys, we implode the jump node. Terra will be safe and weтАЩll be called traitors, but
thatтАЩs the luck of the draw. Our upcoming mission is to distract the Shivans AND the GTA
until the cruisers blow. Flight commanders, download attack patterns from the LTC. The
password is `PhoenixтАЩ. Stick with the plan. If any pilot deviates from the flight path, *I
personally* will shoot you down. Good luck. American Horse Out."

"You heard the boss. One tough lady," came ButterflyтАЩs laconic tones. "Stand by for ADT
transmission."

"Whew! Might as well declare war on earth!" Atsuko muttered as orders scrolled down her
screen. "Bad enough to fight Shivans. But sinking cruisers? Impossible!"
Still... impossible odds and futile battles resonated in AtsukoтАЩs blood, called up programs
from her DNA. In the biggest of EarthтАЩs ancient wars, her ancestors had thrown tiny fighters
against aircraft carriers and battleships. Some of AtsukoтАЩs great-many-times uncles and
cousins had become kamikazes, the "Divine Wind" that blew against the enemy and
flamed-out bravely screaming "BANZAI!" so their empire might last "A thousand years!"

And today, at the far fringes of space, two great empires clashed, and another young
Toranaga flew into battle --
But Atsuko was doping off as the attack got underway. Maintaining position in her air wing,
CHERRY BLOSSOM rocketed towards a black sky stippled with thousands of silver-metal
chips, each one a Shivan fighter or bomber. Beyond them hung the two Terran cruisers,
large as floating cities, surrounded by the cloud of the GTA armada, all guarding the eight
navigation buoys that focussed the vital jump node to Earth. In the background spun Laramis
II like a dirty iceball. The Shivan cruisers were temporarily out of sight in far orbit. Atsuko
wondered if they were slingshotting around the planet to stab Laramis Prime in the back.

"Red Flight, engage enemyтАЩs left flank," commanded Butterfly. "Pilots fire as you bear."

Before she could draw breath, AtsukoтАЩs wing was swamped by sizzling spacecraft. A
Shivan vessel like a flying beartrap rushed at her. Firelight winked along the shipтАЩs rim, and
Atsuko instinctively goosed her topside thrusters to drop like a rock even as she triggered
lasers. Her wingтАЩs Valkyrie zipped past to protect her, since AtsukoтАЩs Hercules carried the
biggest bombload, an honor that made her wallow like a pregnant sow. Zinging past --
leaving AtsukoтАЩs left exposed -- the Valkyrie fired dual Banshee cannons that warped the
beartrapтАЩs shields, then sent in four screaming Hornets smart enough to home on the
damaged area. The ShivanтАЩs hull breeched --
-- and Atsuko was threatened on her exposed left side.
Roaring up from seven oтАЩclock came a boxy-looking craft with flare-mouthed cannons lipped
black. Two machete-like fighters escorted it, and one peeled off as if to spear CHERRY
BLOSSOM. Lasers pinged her shields like hailstones while the enemy swooped in below