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

malice.
He keyed the comm unit. "Booster, when you're on the ground, establish a contact
so reparation claims can be for-warded to us. I want survivors and orphans taken
care of."
"This isn't the Gus Treta station, Wedge."
"I know, but the kids on the ground don't have you to see them through the hard
times, do they?"
"I copy, Wedge. It will be done."
"Good." Wedge glanced again at the city, but the dawn had dulled the brightness
of the flames and showed him how much of the area had gone unharmed. "Booster,
make sure
they know we hit Q5A7 to hit Isard, and we'll only be back if
it's apparent she's dependent upon them again. Tell them
we're death itself for our enemies, but the best of friends to have for allies.
I'm sure they can figure out for themselves
how to join that latter class."
22
Mirax Terrik gave the rakishly good-looking man a dazzling smile as she stepped
into his office. "Talon Karrde, pleased to meet you again. I don't know if
you'll remember me . . ."
Karrde returned her smile, his pale blue eyes sparkling. "I could hardly forget
you, Mirax Terrik. Because of your ef-forts, those cases of Alderaanian wine
cost me well more than I had expected to pay." He took her right hand and gently
kissed it-his black moustache and goatee tickled her hand and fingers.
"I didn't realize you were the other person bidding for
them."
"But if you had, you'd not have fought any less tena-ciously for them." Karrde
shrugged easily enough that Mirax was almost willing to believe he had dismissed
the matter. "What you cost me I put down as the fee paid for a lesson in dealing
with exotic items. If you weren't in the business of hauling things for the
Rebellion, I might have had a chance to test what I learned against you again."
"And my girl would have made you pay even more in your next meeting." Booster
Terrik rested his big hands on Mirax's shoulders. "I would have expected you to
be using
something bigger than an old hollowed-out asteroid for your headquarters,
Karrde. You can afford it."
"Pleased to see you again, too, Booster." The hint of a smile played across
Karrde's lips. "As for this asteroid, Tap-per found it, but before he could
exploit it he ran into some Imperial problems. After our groups merged, he
brought it to my attention. We're using it until we find something more
suitable."
Quelev Tapper came around from behind Booster and stood next to the chair to the
left of Karrde's massive desk. "While most of the ore has been mined, there's
enough metal in the rock to give sensors trouble." Though as slender as Karrde,
and almost as handsome, Tapper's manner con-trasted sharply with Karrde's polite
grace. "It will do in the interim."
Karrde opened his hands and indicated the pair of chairs facing the desk.
"Please, be seated."
Mirax accepted his invitation and looked around the of-fice as she sat. The
chamber's stone walls had been smoothed to an obsidian glassiness, but still had