"Michael Stackpole "The Bacta War"" - читать интересную книгу автораposition for herself.
Isard remained standing just inside the hatchway and stared at Convarion. "Your discovery of the deception con-cerning the freighters was impressive, Commander." "Thank you, but it was no more than should be expected from any of our personnel. I chose to wait for all of my ships to be away because the Rebels used the tactic of mis jumping ships in the case of the bacta convoy that Warlord Zsinj am-bushed at Alderaan. I had to assume that same tactic might be used again. Because of Corrupter's speed, I could arrive in synch with my ships at their destination even if I delayed leaving. I had my navigators plot the outbound vectors for my ships and noticed three were off course. We plotted possi-ble stopping points along that route and proceeded after them. It was a fairly basic pursuit operation." Irritation flared in Isard's molten left eye. "And destroy-ing the Alazhi, was that no less than I should expect from our personnel?" "As I explained in my report-" "As you lied in your report." Isard's eyes narrowed. "Analysis of your ship's data records show your gunners opened fire three seconds after reversion. A signal went out to Alazhi five seconds after reversion, and the volley of shots that destroyed Alazhi came eight seconds after reversion. You chose to shoot regardless of their response." Convarion's face constricted, pulling flesh taut over his cheekbones. "I shot in response to contingencies I had worked out prior to our arrival. Alazhi was alone, which meant the other ships had already been captured and moved. Alazhi had been disarmed and damaged. conjunc-tion with them, I had to assume it was under their control. I was aware of your policy of punishing collaborators, and I chose to implement it immediately. Punishment delayed is punishment stripped of connection with the crime that trig-gered it. While Xucphra Alazhi's crew will not have a chance to learn from their mistake, other crew of other ships know the policy is not an idle threat." "So you chose to implement a policy without asking my permission?" Convarion nodded. "I did." "And you are prepared to take full responsibility for do-ing so?" A slight hesitation marked Convarion's reply. "I am." The down-turned corners of Isard's mouth rose. "Then you will execute the families of those crewmen on the Alazhi. We brought them with us in the shuttle." Color drained from Convarion's face. "If that is your wish." "What I wish, Captain Convarion, matters not." Isard strode toward him and plucked the rank cylinder from the right side of Convarion's tunic. "What I order is all that mat-ters. What initiative you take must be within your mission parameters, it must not exceed them. Do you understand me?" The naval man nodded, but Vorru detected a stiffness to his motion signifying resistance. Elements of the Imperial mil-itary had never accepted Isard's de facto running of the gov-ernment, which was why many of them proclaimed themselves Warlords and created their own little empires. Those who had remained loyal, either to her or the concept of the Empire, still could bristle when she gave orders. |
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