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

turbolift for the short ride up to the bridge. As the lift slowed, he composed
himself, setting his face with a stern expression. The door opened and he
imme-diately strode out onto the Captain's walk. "Report, Lieuten-ant Rosion."
The Chief Navigator looked up from the pit where he worked. "We're coming in as
scheduled. The station is in orbit around Yag'Dhul, occupying an orbit outside
of that of the largest of Yag'Dhul's three moons, with its position al-
ways opposite that moon. We are coming in on the only good entry vector that
won't run us afoul of the world, its moons, or the system's sun. The station
should be clear for an attack once we close into range."
"Very good." Drysso glanced over at his communications officer. "Ensign Yesti,
when we revert to realspace, please inform the Virulence that we expect it to
come in below us at a range of twenty kilometers. Inform Captain Varrscha she is
not to power her weapons up except under my direct order."
"As ordered, Captain."
Drysso continued to walk forward until he reached the viewing station. The light
tunnel through which the ship sped began to break down into long shafts of
light. They, in turn, resolved themselves into unwavering gemstones set in a
black blanket. Directly ahead of the ship's distant prow, the sys-tem's sun
burned brightly. Yag'Dhul and its moons appeared as colorful spheres hanging in
space. Silhouetted against Yag'Dhul's gray face, the space station appeared to
be little more than a cross-insignificant and defenseless.
"Captain, we're showing signs of snubfighter deployment at the station."
"Very well, tell Colonel Arl he is free to deploy his fight-ers in a defensive
screen. Have you spotted the Alderaanian War Cruiser yet?"
"Negative," reported Drysso's aide. "We are clear for a hundred kilometers
around us, and Virulence is reporting similar clearance."
"Push the sensor sphere out to two hundred kilometers, Lieutenant Waroen, and
keep scanning the fringes of the sys-tem for that War Cruiser. Time to
engagement?"
"Ten minutes to range."
"Bring our shields up to full."
"As ordered, sir."
Drysso stroked his goatee as he watched the station grow larger. The scrambling
of the station's snubfighters did not surprise him. That was the only reaction
they could have, which is why he countered with deploying his fighters in a
screen. It would be difficult for the X-wings to work their way through his
screen and, while engaging in dogfights, all
but impossible for them to maintain the sort of unit cohesion needed for a
crushing volley of proton torpedoes to be launched at his ship. While proton
torpedoes and concussion missiles were certainly a danger to his ship, they were
only a danger in vast quantities-far more than three dozen snubfighters could
possibly deliver.
"Captain, the snubfighters are going to lightspeed."
"Thank you, Waroen. Please confirm they are outbound for Thyferra."
His aide's surprise rang through his reply. "Yes, sir, that's it exactly."
"Good. They will arrive there after twelve hours in tiny cockpits, short on fuel
and sleep. The Thyferrans can deal with them. We'll make certain they have no
place to return to."
Light laughter greeted his comment, then the communi-cations officer raised his
voice above the din. "Captain, we have an incoming message from the station."