"Splinter Of The Minds Eye (Alan Dean Foster)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Foster Alan Dean)

Sending her on so dangerous a mission, Luke had thought from the first, was a
risk. But a second system was ready to commit itself to the Alliance, if it was
announced that Circarpous had also joined. At the same time, if that second
system would declare its defiance of the Empire, then the Circarpousian
underground would undoubtedly come over to the side of the Rebellion. So not
one, but two systems waited on the outcome of this mission. And if it failed,
Luke knew, both systems would probably lose heart and withhold their desperately
needed aid. They had to succeed.

Luke had no doubts, as he silently adjusted his ship's attitude a quarter of a
degree to the plane of the solar ecliptic, about the outcome of their mission.
He couldn't imagine anyone who could not be persuaded by Princess Leia. She
could convince him of anything. Luke treasured those moments when she forgot her
station and titles. He dreamed of a time when she might forget them forever.

A beep from behind woke Luke from his daydreaming, wiped the smile from his
face. They were preparing to pass close by Circarpous V, and Artoo was reminding
him of it. A vast, cloud-shrouded globe, the planet was listed in Luke's library
as being mostly unexplored, save for a single early Imperial scouting
expedition. According to the computer readout, it was also known to the
Circarpousians as Mimban, and? His intership communicator dinged for attention.
"I'm receiving you, Princess."

Her reply was filled with irritation. "My port engine is beginning to generate
unequal radiation pulses." Even when bothered, to him that voice was as
naturally sweet and pleasing as sugar-laden fruit. "How bad?" he inquired,
frowning worriedly. "Bad enough, Luke." The words sounded strained. "I'm losing
control already, and the inequality's getting worse. I don't think I'm going to
be able to compensate. We'll have to stop at the first base down below on Mimban
and have the problem corrected." Luke opened his mouth to reply, did so after
hesitating briefly. "You can't possibly make it safely to Circarpous IV?"

"I don't think so, Luke. I might make near-orbit, but then we'd have to deal
with official repair systems and couldn't set down as planned. We'd miss the
meeting, and we can't miss it. Resistance groups from all over the Circarpous
system are going to be there. If I don't arrive, they'll panic. We'll have one
Stang of a time getting them to surface again. And the Circarpous, worlds are
vital to the Rebellion, Luke."

"I still don't think?" he began.

"Don't make me make it an order, Luke."

Biting back his initial response, he hurriedly began a check of visual readout
charts and records. "According to my information tapes, Mimban doesn't have a
repair station, Leia. In fact," he added with a glance at the murky green-white
sphere below and to one side, "Mimban might not even have an emergency standby
station."

"It doesn't matter, Luke. I have to make the conference, and I'm going down