"Michael Stackpole "The Bacta War"" - читать интересную книгу автора

Karrde shot a glance at Tapper, then the two of them shook their heads.
"Idealists cause a lot of trouble in this galaxy."
"Just remember it was one of those idealists who killed Jabba."
"Good point, Booster, but I've got no desire to end up like Jabba."
"Nor will you." Booster sipped more of his wine. "Wedge and the others may be
idealists in some respects, but they're also practical when they need to be, and
I'm here to put that practicality into terms you can understand and re-spect.
What I'm looking for is missile- and torpedo-sensor packages, launch-tube
assemblies, and a supply of proton tor-pedoes and concussion missiles."
Mirax noted no reaction by Karrde, but Tapper's eyes widened quite a bit.
Karrde raised his hand to cover a yawn. "I've heard that you made a mess of the
bacta refinery on Qretu 5."
"Care to know how much bacta we hauled away?"
"I have my estimates. I also know where you sent a great
deal of it."
Mirax smiled. "It doesn't take a genius to know we've shipped a lot to
Coruscant."
"But it will take a genius to get the rest of it, eh?" Karrde
set his glass of wine down. "What sort of numbers are you
looking at with your equipment?"
Booster leaned back in his seat. "Three hundred launch-
ers and sensor packages: fifty should be snubfighter systems,
the rest can be capital ship systems. Right now I want two
thousand proton torpedoes and a thousand concussion missiles, though I expect
those numbers to change." "Upward, of course." "Of course."
Karrde's expression sharpened. "You going to be arming your freighters,
Booster?"
"Try taking one of them off and find out, Karrde."
Talon Karrde smiled broadly. "I'm a smuggler, not a pi-rate."
"Thin line between them." Booster thrust his chin for-ward. "Pirate steals from
his suppliers, smuggler just cheats them."
"You've distilled that difference to its essence, Booster." Karrde sat back in
his chair. "You'll be paying with bacta?"
Booster nodded. "Not a problem, I assume?"
"Not really. The price now is so high that much of what I would be trading for
is being sold to buy bacta from the cartel. Oddly enough, with the New Republic
somewhat strapped for liquid capital, military surplus and munitions are
actually dropping in price. It's a buyer's market. I shouldn't be telling you
that, of course."
Mirax laughed. "Except you know we already know that, and you want to rub in the
fact that you'll be gouging us on the prices."
Karrde's eyes glittered with amusement. "She's very sharp, Booster. You should
be proud."
"I am. You can get us what we want?"
Karrde nodded. "Not all at once, of course."
"Installments are fine." Booster glanced at a thumbnail, then looked back up.
"Delivery will be a bit peculiar. We'll arrange for exchanges at various places
where your ships will offload material for us. We'll be transporting it to our
final destination ourselves."
"Not that you don't trust me."