"Michael Stackpole "Rogue Squadron"" - читать интересную книгу автора

had a black dot in the middle-he survived the Death Star run."
Rhysati looped her right arm around Corran's neck and brought her fist up gently
under his chin. "What difference does it make who he is?"
"Rhys, he shot up three of our best pilots, had me dead in space, and says he's
a bit rusty! I want to know who he is because he's decidedly dangerous."
"He is that, but today he's not the most danger-ous pilot. That's you." She
linked her other arm through Nawara's right elbow. "So, Corran, you for-get you
were a Security officer and, Nawara, you forget you were a lawyer and let this
thing drop. To-day we're all pilots, we're all on the same side"-she smiled
sweetly-"and the man who beat the Re-demption scenario is about to make good on
all those dinner and drink promises he made to talk his wingmates into helping
him win."

2

Wedge Antilles saluted Admiral Ackbar and held the salute until the Mon Calamari
returned it. "Thank you for seeing me, sir."
"It is always my pleasure to see you, Com-mander Antilles." Without moving his
head, Ackbar glanced with one eye toward the other man standing in his office.
"General Salm and I were just discuss-ing the impact of having Rogue Squadron
back in the fleet. He feels you are all but ready to go. The unit roster is
impressive."
The brown-haired fighter pilot nodded. "Yes, sir. I wanted to speak to you about
the roster, if I could, sir." Wedge saw Salm's face close up. "There have been
changes made to the roster without my con-sultation."
Salm turned away from the floating blue globe hanging in the corner and clasped
his hands behind his back. "There are circumstances beyond your control that
made those changes necessary, Com-mander Antilles."
"I'm aware of that, sir. Lieutenants Hobbie Klivan and Wes Janson will do well
bringing new
training squadrons along." / didn't want to lose them, but that was a battle I
lost a long time ago. "And I understand why half the slots in my squad-ron are
going to political appointees ..."
Ackbar's head came up. "But you do not approve?"
Wedge bit back a sharp comment. "Admiral, I've spent a good deal of the two and
a half years since the Emperor died touring worlds new to the Alliance because
someone decided our new allies needed to see we had heroes-that we weren't all
the bandits the Empire made us out to be. I gave speeches, I kissed babies, I
had holograms taken with more world leaders than I ever knew existed. I was
there as our propaganda machine built Rogue Squadron up into the needle that
exploded the Em-peror's Death Star balloons."
The human General in command of the Rebel-lion's starfighter training center at
Folor smiled coolly. "Then you do understand why it is impor-tant that our
allies have representatives within our most celebrated squadron."
"Yes, but / know the difference between a real fighter squadron and the monster
you've made Rogue Squadron out to be. The Empire isn't going to lie down and die
just because they see a dozen ships jump into a system."
"Of course not."
"But, General, that's what our diplomatic corps is suggesting. The Bothans want
a pilot in Rogue Squadron because they found the second Death Star and we killed