"David Weber & Steve White - Starfire 2 - Crusade" - читать интересную книгу автора (Weber David)

three, range three-point-two light-minutes; Group Three bears oh-two-eignt by oh-three-two,
range three-point-one light-minutes. Both are on converging interception courses!тАЬ

KhardanishтАЩs eyes slitted. That sort of spread suggested only one thing: an attack formation. The
first group must have been an advanced screen, and the others had spread out behind their
scouts, maneuvering beyond scanner range to position themselves to run down his squadron
whatever ne did.

But why? If they were truly Terrans, they were allies, and if they were not Terrans, now could
they have known to use Terran com protocols - even ones so sadly out of date? It made no
sense! UnlessтАж

No one had ever come back from CharonтАЩs Ferry, but JO Fleet records suggested that at least
some of the Terran colony fleet annihilated here had fled down it in a desperate bid to escape.
Was it possible they had survived?

It seemed fantastic, but it might be an explanation. After all, more than ninety Terran years had
passed since then. Survivors might have managed to cling to their technology. But how could
colony snips survive what survey ships could not? And how could they have produced sufficient
population to build this many ships? And why wait this long to return? If -

"We have tentative classifications on Group Two, sir,тАЬ Hinarou said tensely. "Coming up on your
display.тАЬ

Khardanish looked back down and tightened internally. At least seven of those ships were
capital units; three were superdreadnoughts.
"Maneuvering, come about one-eight-oh degrees. Maximum power.тАЬ Znamae swerved in a
course change so radical it could be felt even through the drive field7 and Khardanish turned to
Johansen. "Observations, Lieutenant?тАЬ

"Sir, they may claim to be Terran, but they donтАЩt match anything in my records. I donтАЩt know what
they are.тАЬ

"Could they be survivors of the colony fleet of 2206?тАЬ

Johansen bunked, then frowned. "I suppose itтАЩs possible, sir, but if they are, where have they
been all this time?тАЬ

"I do not know, but if that is the case, they cannot know what has transpired since. They may
even believe we are still at war.тАЬ

"Sir,тАЬ Obseiver Hinarou broke in, "we are picking up additional sensor emissions. Battle Comp
estimates they are targeting systems.тАЬ

"Acknowledged, Observation.тАЬ

Their pursuers were far outside weapon range, but that would change. The capital ships were
gaining only slowly as they cut the angle on the squadronтАЩscourse, but their escorts were twenty
percent faster than his ships. They would reach missile range in little over two hours, and the
first group was far closer. They would have the range in less than eighty minutes, and it was