"Timothy Zahn - Dragonback 03 - Dragon And Slave" - читать интересную книгу автора (Zahn Timothy)

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"And you can do all of that with your eyes shut," Jack interrupted. "Just
take
us down, okay?"
There was an audible sigh from the speaker. Uncle Virge was a sort of ghostly
echo of Jack's Uncle Virgil, the conman and safecracker who'd raised the boy
after his parents' deaths when he was three. Before Uncle Virgil's own death
a
year ago, he'd somehow managed to implant a version of his personality into
the
Essenay's computer. With only that personality to keep him company, Jack had
continued on, taking odd shipping jobs to support himself as he flew alone
between the stars of the galaxy's Orion Arm.
Alone, that is, until Draycos, poet-warrior of the K'da, had crashed
unexpectedly into his life.
Uncle Virge didn't like Draycos. He didn't like Draycos's warrior's ethic, or
his continued presence aboard the Essenay, or the fact that he had dragged
Jack
into his private mission.
And he certainly didn't like this plan. "Jack, lad, really now, this is just
plain crazy," he said, his voice soft and earnest. "Even by my standards.
Can't
we take just a little more time to think about it? There has to be a better
way
to find these mercenaries of yours."
Jack looked back down at the tabletop, his eyes avoiding Draycos's. He was
trying hard to hide his feelings, but Draycos could see the tension in his
face.
Jack didn't like the plan any more than Uncle Virge did.
Which made it unanimous, because Draycos didn't much like it either.
But they were running out of choices. More importantly, they were running out
of
time. In four months the main fleet of K'da and Shontine refugee ships would
reach the Orion Arm after their long, weary voyage across space. Their final
goal was the uninhabited planet of Iota Klestis; but first they would be
stopping at a rendezvous point known only to the fleet and the commanders of
the
advance team.
Except that all of those advance team commanders were dead. Their ships had
been
attacked as they arrived at Iota Klestis, and everyone aboard except Draycos
had
been killed by the unstoppable Death weapon of their enemies, the Valahgua.
The
attackers had then taken control of the ships, and by now had surely
discovered
the location of the upcoming rendezvous.
All Draycos and Jack had to go on was the fact that the Valahgua had picked
up