"Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle - Reflex" - читать интересную книгу автора (Niven Larry)

here. But if we can win a couple of battles, the EmpireтАЩll have to pull back. They
canтАЩt strip all their ships out of other areas. Too many enemies. TimeтАЩs on our side, if
we can buy some.тАЭ
тАЬYeah. Way I see it, too. Guess itтАЩs worth it. Back to work.тАЭ
 It had to be worth it, Colvin thought. It just didnтАЩt make sense to put the whole
human race under one government.
Some day theyтАЩd get a really bad Emperor. Or three Emperors all claiming the
throne at once. Better to put a stop to this now, rather than leave the problem to their
grandchildren.
The phones buzzed again. тАЬBetter take a good look, skipper,тАЭ Halleck said. тАЬI
think we got problems.тАЭ
The screens flashed as new information flowed. Colvin touched ├аther buttons in
his chair arm. Lt. SusackтАЩs face swam onto one screen. тАЬMake a signal to the fleet,тАЭ
Colvin said. тАЬThat thingтАЩs bigger than we thought. This could be one hell of a battle.тАЭ
тАЬAye aye,тАЭ Susack said. тАЬBut we can handle it.тАЭ
тАЬSure,тАЭ Colvin said. He stared at the updated information and frowned.
тАЬWhat is out there, Captain?тАЭ Gerry asked. тАЬIs there reason for concern?тАЭ
тАЬThere could be,тАЭ Colvin said. тАЬMister Gerry, that is an Imperial battle cruiser.
тАШGeneralтАЩ class, IтАЩd say.тАЭ As he told the political officer, Colvin felt a cold pit in his
guts.
тАЬAnd what does that mean?тАЭ
тАЬItтАЩs one of their best,тАЭ Colvin said. тАЬAbout as fast as we are. More armor, more
weapons, more fuel. WeтАЩve got a fight on our hands.тАЭ


тАЬLaunch observation boats. Prepare to engage,тАЭ Colvin ordered. Although he
couldnтАЩt see it, the Imperial ship was prObably doing the same thing. Qbservation
boats didnтАЩt carry much for weapons, but their observations could be invaluable when
the engagement
began. - --
тАЬYou donтАЩt sound confident,тАЭ Gerry said.
Colvin checked- his intercom switches. No one could
hear him but Gerry. тАЬIтАЩm not,тАЭ he said. тАЬLook, however
you cut it, if thereтАЩs an advantage that shipтАЩs got it. Their
crewтАЩs had a chance to recover from their hyperspace -
trip, too.тАЭ If weтАЩd had the right equipmentтАФNo use -
thinking about that. - -
тАЬWhat if it gets past us?тАЭ
тАЬEnough ships might knock it out, especially if we can damage it, but thereтАЩs no
single ship in our fleet -that can fight that thing one-on-one and expect to win.тАЭ
HeтАФpaused to let that sink in.
тАЬIncluding us.тАЭ -
тАЬIncluding us. I didnтАЩt know there was a battle cruiser anywhere in the trans-
Coalsack region.тАЭ -
тАЬInteresting implications,тАЭ Gerry said. -
тАЬYeah. TheyтАЩve brought one of their best ships. Not
only that, they took the trouble to find a back way. Two -
new Alderson tramlines. From the red dwarf to us, and a
way into the red dwarf.тАЭ -
тАЬSeems theyтАЩre determined.тАЭ Gerry paused a moment. тАЬThe Committee was