"Richard Hatch - Battlestar Galactica 02 - Warhawk" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hatch Richard)

know how important this is."

Starbuck nodded, exhaling a stream of fumarello smoke. "I know how
important you think it is. And I agreed with you that it was important,
until I found out it was a death match."

Apollo walked back toward Starbuck, getting angry himself now. Troy
followed a few steps behind, and even without using the telepathic
abilities that his Kobollian heritage gave him, Apollo could sense the
energy that traveled between his son and Starbuck. They conspired to save
his life. But Apollo didn't believe that his life needed saving.

"You don't think I can win?" Apollo asked.

"Not the point, Commander," Starbuck replied.

"Stop calling me that!" Apollo snapped.

"Sorry," Starbuck shrugged. "Commander." He smiled. "The Borellian
Nomen, what few of them are left on the Icarus nowтАФand what are there,
ten?"

"Nine," Troy volunteered.

"Ah," Starbuck said, nodding again. "So these nine citizens of the
fleetтАФall of whom, I don't have to remind you, were imprisoned on the
Icarus even before they rebelled against the Quorum, killed a bunch of
wardens and commandeered the shipтАФyou want to show respect for their
culture by agreeing to fight their leader to the death?"

"I accepted his challenge," Apollo replied. "Granted, I didn't know it
was for a death match, but if this is what is necessary to show the Nomen
that there is some honor in their human cousins, what else can I do? If
Gar'Tokk had not turned against Count Iblis when he did, the fleet would
have been destroyed."

Apollo recalled again his meeting with Gar'Tokk several weeks earlier.
Though it had been clear that despite their actions, the Nomen had to be
returned to the prison ship Icarus, the Nomen themselves wanted to be
delivered to the first habitable planet the fleet passed, and allowed to fend
for themselves, just as their ancestors had under the leadership of
Borellus.

"I'm afraid I can't allow that," Apollo had said.

Which was when Gar'Tokk had spoken the words that had disturbed
Apollo.

"What gives you the right to make that decision?" Gar'Tokk had asked.
"We were not subject to Colonial rule while our tribes remained on