"Steve Gordon - Ensectoid 01 - The Ensectoid Invasion" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gordon Steve)

"I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought about doing
something like this too. But it's too risky. Even if we're
right, without proof we might not be able to persuade the
fleet. And just remember, we may not be right; it's been
almost a year since the last skirmish; the Insectoids may
really be suing for peace.
"You don't believe that!" said Wren.
North shook his head. "You're right, I don't. But I'm
not certain. And as long as I'm not certain, and an
'intervention' on our part is risky at best, I'm not going to
act. Remember that most of the fleet is going there; if there
is an ambush being planned, the Insectoids will have to be
strong enough to take out our entire fleet at once. Maybe
they won't be foolish enough to try; maybe if they try,
they'll fail."
"At the very least we should go to Vitalics too."
North shook his head. "We'd be risking court martial
when we got into sensor range. And with only 40 odd ships
under my direct command, I'm not sure we could make a
difference."
He sighed. "This isn't an easy decision. But I'm not
going to overthrow an elected government unless I'm certain
they're wrong, and I'm not.... And even if I were, I'm not
nearly sure we'd be successful."
"So what do we do now?"
"We go to Hunt's world... and we wait," said North.


The Glory and its accompanying fleet came into orbit
around the moon orbiting Hunt's World. Formerly a pioneering
world, Hunt had over the centuries gradually evolved into a
center of industry and capital and was now the main "money
world" in the League. Because of its importance to the
financial industry, Hunt's World had a series of
battlestations in high orbit around the planet, brimming with
weaponry and a full assortment of starfighters.
But, oddly enough, North hadn't stationed his fleet in
proximity of the battlestations; instead, much of the fleet
were in orbit around Hunt's moon, too far to get support from
the weaponry on the battlestations, if needed.
"It's been eight hours," Commander Wren fumed. "Eight
hours since the armistice convened.
"Patience, Commander," said North, sitting in his
command chair which was set just behind Captain Dulin's. "I'm
sure we'll be hearing something soon." He touched the silver
eagles on his collar below his four stars, his only sign of
restlessness.
"How long does it take them to sign a piece of paper?"
Wren fumed.
North gave her a mild look but said nothing.