"Simon R. Green - Deathstalker - 4 - Deathstalker Honor" - читать интересную книгу автора (Green Simon R)

"It's just my old AI!"
"Then why can't I hear it on my comm system? Why can't anyone else hear it? And you
were very definite you'd killed the bloody thing after it betrayed us on the Wolfling
World."
"I thought it was dead. But I'm not as sure about a lot of things as I used to be. After all,
you and I have been through a lot of things that should have killed us. Haven't we?"
Hazel had no quick answer to that. So they stared at each other in an uncomfortable
silence for a long moment, until they were suddenly interrupted by all the yacht's
warning sirens going off at once, the floor rocking under their feet as something really
powerful hit the ship like a hammer.
"Oz!" yelled Owen. "What the hell's going on?"
"You can't say I didn't warn you," said the AI calmly. "Valentine's security systems
have finally broken through our cloaking shields, and the armed satellites are currently
throwing everything they've got at us. Which is actually quite considerable. Main
shields are holding. For the moment. Do I have your permission to return fire?"
"Of course you bloody do! Blow the nearest satellites out of the sky and then get us
dirtside as fast as you can."
"Landing coordinates?"
"Not too far from the Standing. Walking distance."


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Simon R. Green - Deathstalker 04 - Deathstalker Honor


"About time you got some healthy exercise," said the AI approvingly. "You've been
putting on weight."
"Well?" said Hazel. "What's happening?"
"Valentine knows we're here. And the voice in my head now thinks it's my mother. I'm
bringing the ship down fast. Grab onto something and pray for a soft landing."
"Hell with that," said Hazel. "I want to get some shots of my own in first."
"Why bother? The ship's fire computers are perfectly capableтАФ"
"God, you're a wimp sometimes, Deathstalker. It's the principle of the thing."
And off she went, up to the bridge to plug herself into the fire systems. Owen let her go.
That was Hazel for you. Never happier than with a gun of some kind in her hand,
causing destruction and devastation and ruining someone's day. He strapped himself
into his chair and waited patiently. At least the Sunstrider II had decent guns. The
original Sunstrider had spent most of its short life being chased from one world to
another, often shot up and on fire, until it finally crash-landed in the deadly jungles of
Shandrakor. When Owen had the new yacht built around the salvaged engines of the
old, he had insisted the Hadenmen install as many state-of-the-art weapon systems as
the craft could hold. He didn't like having to run. It wasn't in his nature.
And then the ship lurched again, as something really nasty slammed through the energy
shields and impacted on the reinforced hull. The lights flickered briefly, and Owen
tensed, waiting for the shrill warning of a hull breach. It didn't come, but Owen decided
his proper place was on the bridge, after all. Defense computers could do only so much.
He ran all the way, but still had enough breath left when he got there to demand of
Hazel what the hell was going on.
"Damned if I know, Deathstalker," said Hazel briskly, eyes fixed on the control panels
before her. "I've never encountered firepower like this. At least, not from any human