"Cloak Of Deception (James Luceno)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Luceno James)

Neimoidian speech, while lilting, favored first syllables and elongated words.
"Very well, then," Dofine replied. "Recall the starfighters." The
navigator swiveled in his chair to face the walkway. "So soon, Commander?"
Dofine ceased his relentless pacing to cast a dubious look at his shipmate.
Months in deep space had so honed Dofine's natur-ral distrust that he was no
longer certain of the navigator's intent. Was the navigator questioning his
command in the hope of gaining status, or was there some good reason to delay
recalling the starfighters? The distinction troubled Dofine, since he risked
losing face by airing his suspicions and being proven wrong.
He decided to gamble that the question had been prompted by concern and
contained no hidden challenges.
"I want those fighters recalled. The sooner we leave Dor - valla, the
better." The navigator nodded. "As you will, Commander." Captain of the
Revenue's skeleton crew of living beings, Dofine had a pair of front-facing
red oval eyes, a prominent muzzle, and a fish-lipped slash of mouth.
Veins and arteries pulsed visibly beneath the surface of puckered and
mottled pale-green skin.
Small for his species--the runt of his hive, some said behind his back--
his thin frame was draped in blue robes and a tufted, shoulder-padded mantle
more appropriate for a cleric than a ship's commander.
A tall cone of black fabric, even his headpiece suggested wealth and high
office.
The navigator was similarly attired in robes and headpiece, though his
floor-length mantle was solid black and of a simpler design. He communicated
with the devices that encircled the shell-like pilot's chair by means of data
readout goggles that cupped his eyes and a disk-shaped comlink that hid his
mouth.
The Revenue's communications technician was a jowled and limpid-eyed
Sullustan. The officer who interfaced with the central control computer was a
Gran - comthree-eyed, with a hircine face. Beaked and green-complexioned, the
ship's assistant bursar was an Ishi Tib.
Dofine hated having to suffer aliens aboard his bridge, but he was
compelled to do so as an accommodation to the lesser shipping concerns that
had allied with the Trade Federation; small companies like Viraxo Shipping,
and powerful shipbuilders like TaggeCo and HoerschKessel.
Humaniform droids saw to all other tasks on the bridge.
Dofine had resumed his pacing when the Sullustan spoke.
"Commander, Dorvalla Mining reports that the payment they received is
short one hundred thousand Republic credits." Dofine waved his long-fingered
hand in dismissal.
"Tell her to recheck her figures." The Sullustan relayed Dofine's words
and waited for a reply. "She claims that you said the same thing the last time
we were here." Dofine exhaled theatrically and gestured to a large circular
screen at the rear of the bridge.
"Display her." The magnified image of a red-haired, freckle-faced human
woman was resolving on the screen by the time Dofine reached it.
"7 am not aware of any missing credits," he said without preamble.
The woman's blue eyes flashed. "Don't lie to me, Dofine. First it was
twenty thousand, then fifty, now one hundred. How much will we have to forfeit
the next time the Trade Federation graces Dorvalla with a visit?" Dofine