"Timothy Zahn - Blackcollar 2 - The Backlash Mission" - читать интересную книгу автора (Zahn Timothy)

"Maybe they didn't need to destroy it," Caine suggested. "Maybe they got inside and took it over."

"In which case you might as well scratch any plans to get in yourself." Lepkowski rubbed his chin.
"Hard to believe, though. Once the base was locked down no one should have been able to get in
without bringing the whole mountain down on top of himself."

Caine bit at his lip. "Maybe it was unlocked, then. Surrendered to them."

Lepkowski was silent a long moment. Then he shook his head. "No, that doesn't sound right, either.
Kratochvil wouldn't have given Aegis away. And neither would the local commander."

There was another pause. "So what's your end-line assessment?" Caine asked at last. "Is there any
use in my looking for Backlash there?"

"Your chances are slim at best," Lepkowski said bluntly. "Whether Aegis is locked down, burned
out, or up to its hangar level in Ryqril, your chances of getting in are almost nonexistent. Maybe
with some helpтАФbut I don't even know what kind of help you could find in the area."

"I might," Caine said. "There were supposed to be some blackcollars working in the central
continent somewhere. And my Resistance tutors also had limited contact with a North American
group called Torch."

"Competent?"

Caine shrugged. "They were still around when I left, as far as I know. Real hard-wrapped fanatics,
from what I heardтАФready to do anything to overthrow the Ryqril."

Lepkowski shook his head. "I wouldn't go near them if I were you. Never trust fanatics any farther
than you absolutely have to."

"Because they take stupid chances?"

"And because they'll turn on you in a second if you stray half a step off their personal version of the
'correct' way."

Caine hissed a breath between his teeth. "Well... is there any other place in the TDE where I'd have a
better shot? What about Centauri A?"

"The blackcollar training center?" The general shook his head. "It's gone. Bombed so thoroughly the

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Blackcollar: The Backlash Mission

planet looks to be headed into an ice age. The Ryqril had had enough experience with blackcollars
by then to know they sure as hell didn't want any more of them coming out of Centauri."

No, of course the Ryqril didn't want any more blackcollars. Caine had seen for himself just what
blackcollars could do against the aliens and their loyalty-conditioned human allies... and the
memories reminded him of exactly why he'd decided on this goal in the first place. "All right," he
said slowly. "Then Aegis is it, I guess. Can you tell me anything about the baseтАФlayout, defenses,