"The Clouds Of Saturn" - читать интересную книгу автора (McCollum Michael)

“We’re winning!” Halley exclaimed after she launched a missile that was
destroyed by laser fire scant meters from its target. Even though vaporized, the
cloud of molten drops splattered across the wing surfaces of its target, causing
it to follow its wounded companion east.
“They’re not as strong as we were led to believe,” Lars said through gritted
teeth.
Another Delphi ship died within the next few seconds, along with one of the
larger Alliance craft. By now the dogfight was spread across so much sky
thatSparrowHawk appeared alone. The only nearby ship was a single seat Alliance
fighter. Sands bore in as his opponent attempted to flee. His concentration was
broken by a sudden cry for help.
“Attention All Ships! This isDelphi. We are under attack. The group you have
engaged is a diversion. The main fleet is here. All ships to us!
“Damn!” Sands exclaimed. A high gee turn transformed the curse into an
unintelligible grunt. Once lined up to the west, he advanced his throttles to
emergency maximum and feltSparrowHawk leap forward.
“What’s your situation, Dane?” he asked over his private command circuit.
Dane’s face was wide eyed as he came on the screen. Lars did not know when he
had seen his brother so frightened.
“They came out of the cloud wall, Lars! Nearly thirty of them. They are boring
in on the flagship. Our combat air patrol has gone out to meet them. We are
running west as fast as we can. I don’t think we’re going to make it.”
“We’re on our way.”
“Hurry, damn it!”
“How many others are with us?” Lars asked Halley.
She made a quick sensor survey of the sky. She noted six other craft with the
green New Philadelphia icon. There were a dozen enemy vessels behind them. The
rest of the Delphi fleet was still engaged and unable to break free.
“We should have known something was wrong. No one sends a two dozen ships to
attack a city.”
“Do you think Dane’s in danger?” Halley asked, horror suddenly creeping into her
voice.
“I think we’reall in danger,” he replied grimly.
As they rocketed through the sky, Halley put up the long-range scanner display.
What they saw sent a chill through Sands. A swarm of red icons was being opposed
by three green while the flagship symbol attempted to flee. The defending New
Philadelphia craft lasted only a few seconds before fluttering into the depths.
They left twenty-eight intact Alliance craft free to swarm aroundDelphi .
“That’s it,” he said as the Alliance fleet reached the flagship. “Kraken will
have to surrender now.”
Almost as though the commodore had heard Sands’s comment, the call went out. The
two privateers listened gloomily as the New Philadelphia commander struck his
colors. One part of Sands was saddened by the loss, another part relieved. Dane
would be interned for a while, but would eventually be freed. There was no
reason for the Alliance to harm captured privateers.
“Let’s get away from here,” he ordered Halley. “We don’t want to be interned,
too.”
“Right.”
Ahead of them, the flagship was just coming out of the blue. It was still so
distant that they could not see the smaller Alliance ships darting around it.