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

Off to his right another droid was blasted from the top of the pod, its
torso sent twirling in clumsy circles as it flew off into the hangar, only to
collide with a settling cargo pod. A droid with a missing leg hopped as it
shot, until its sound leg was blown out from under it, and it fell, skidding
across the deck, sparks flying from its vocoder chin.
OLR-4 shifted left and right, dodging blaster bolts. He had almost
reached the pod when a bolt caught him in the left shoulder, spinning him
through a complete circle. He staggered, but somehow managed to remain
upright, until a second bolt struck him in the opposite shoulder. Spun through
another circle, he landed on his back, with his legs wedged beneath the pod.
Looking up, he had a glimpse of the armed force that had infiltrated the
freighter: a dozen or so bipedal flesh and bloods, sheathed in mimetic suits
and black body armor, their faces hidden behind rebreather masks, whose oxygen
recyclers resembled fangs.
OLR-4'S photoreceptors focused on a human with long black hair that fell
in thick coils to his broad shoulders. The servomotors of the droid's right
hand tightened on the blaster's trigger bar, but the fatigued and overheated
weapon's only response was a mournful whirr, as it powered down and shut off.
"Uh-oh," OLR-4 said.
Glimpsing him, the long-haired human swung and fired.
OLR-4'S heat sensors redlined and his overloaded systems wailed. Circuits
melting, he relayed a final image to the central control computer, then winked
out of existence.
The reassuring hum of machines on the Revenue's bridge was interrupted by
a grating tone from the scanner array. Gliding across the command walkway,
Daultay Dofine queried the droid stationed at the scanner.
"Long-range monitors report a cluster of small ships advancing all speed
on our position," the droid answered in a metallic monotone.
"What? What did you say?" The Sullustan elaborated.
"Authenticators identify the ships as CloakShapes and one Tempest-class
gunship." Dofine's jaw dropped. "An attack?" "Commander," the droid intoned,
"the ships are continuing to advance." Dofine gestured wildly to the outsize
display screen. "I want to see them!" He had started for the screen when
another worrisome tone sounded, this time from the station of the systems
officer, which was also set below the walkway.
"The central control computer is reporting a disturbance in zone two of
the starboard hangar arm." Dofine gaped at the Gran. "What sort of
disturbance?" "The droids are firing on one of the cargo pods." "Those
brainless machines! If they ruin any of the cargo--was "Commander,
starfighters are onscreen," the Sullustan reported.
"It could be nothing more than a glitch," the Gran went on.
Dofine's blinking red orbs darted from one alien to the other in mounting
concern.
"Starfighters changing vector. Breaking into two elements." The Sullustan
turned to Dofine.
"Flying the imprint of the Nebula Front." "The Nebula Front!" Dofine
rushed to the display screen, then raised his long, fat forefinger to indicate
the jet-black gunship. "That ship--was "The Hawk-Bat" the Sullustan said in a
rush. "The ship of Captain Cohl." "Impossible!" Dofine snapped. "Cohl was
reported to be at Malastare only yesterday." Jowls quivering slightly, the