"Kathy Tyers - Firebird 1 - Firebird" - читать интересную книгу автора (Tyers Kathy)

wondered, sometimes, if some who vanished had survivedтАФfled the Naetai Systems and begun new
lives elsewhere. She knew one who had made the attempt: she had helped. Naturally, she had never
heard from himтАФnor the commoner, a lovely University woman, who had gone with him. Occasionally
she thought of them. Had the Redjackets found and killed them months after Firebird and Corey had
reported them dead in space, or had they vanished effectively enough?

But she had chosen the path of honor, the chance to win herself undying glory by facing that destiny
courageously. If only she were bound for a war to which she could give herself gladly, not a strike on her
sister PhoenaтАЩs behalf to help with a project she opposed. And if only CarradeeтАЩs second little
princessтАФthe child was bound to be female, for inexplicably, no Angelo had birthed a male heir in five
hundred yearsтАФwerenтАЩt quite so close toтАФ

When the briefing room went dark, Firebird was startled back to attention. Korda bent momentarily over
the blocky media unit at midboard, then turned back toward the class. тАЬThe Sentinels in the Federate
military are the ones of most concern to you, of course. If you think you see one, in battle or otherwise,
shoot first and make sure of your target after heтАЩs dead. You probably wonтАЩt get a second chance. Some
of them can levitate your side weapon from the holster. Others have different specialties.тАЭ

A life-size holographic image appeared over the block, rotating slowly, of a handsome black-haired
woman who apparently stood taller than half the men in the class. тАЬThis is Captain Ellet Kinsman. SheтАЩs
stationed at CaroliтАФwhich governs VeeRon, by the wayтАФand rising fast in the ranks. We rate the
starbred on the Aurian Scale, according to how strongly the psionic genes that give rise to the projectable
epsilon carrier wave are expressed in them. Kinsman comes from a strong family. Seventy-five Aurian
Scale out of a rough hundred, which means she can do over half the tricks the pure-blooded Aurians
could. You donтАЩt want to get near a person like that. Militarily, sheтАЩs not much threat to you yet. She will
be, when she gets some rank and experience. Memorize the face, if you have half a memory. DonтАЩt
forget her.тАЭ

Firebird was already memorizing as he spoke. The woman resembled her first flight trainer, Commodore
Cheitt, except KinsmanтАЩs features were femininely softened, and her uniform was blue-black with no
insignia save a golden star. She had seen that uniform before.

The image blurred and faded. Next she saw a man, older, also black-haired. тАЬAdmiral Blair Kinsman is
her cousin. Based on Varga. The throwback of the family, about a twenty-five Aurian ScaleтАФI think he
can nudge a few electrons along a wire, if heтАЩs not tooтАжтАЭ

Distracted by half a memory, Firebird missed several sentences. Where had she seen that uniform? She
prided herself on being able to identify Federate service insignia, but this must be a rare one. Ah! The
honor guard who had spotted her, that day she had spied on the Electorate with Corey for the last
timeтАФhe had worn it.

тАЬNow, this is Trouble.тАЭ Blair Kinsman disappeared in a cloud of static. A younger manтАЩs figure
materialized in his place, and Firebird almost gasped aloud. The guard himself! In this image he looked
less incongruously young, but it could be no otherтАФof average height, slender and well proportioned;
straight chin, fine cheekbones, and hair the light, rich brown of burnished letawood. The imageтАЩs eyes
were lost in shadow, but she had not forgotten that flash of blue.

тАЬThis is Lieutenant General Brennen Caldwell. HeтАЩs stationed at Regional Headquarters, Alta, but as a
member of the Special Operations Task Force or S.O.тАЭтАФhe scratched the initials onto the
teachboardтАФтАЬhe has no permanent base or unit. DonтАЩt even get close enough to recognize him. Aurian