Read Online Cobra Guardian: Cobra War: Book Two by Timothy Zahn - Free Book Online
Authors: Timothy Zahn
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system instead of temporarily jamming it is to permanently keep Stronghold from talking to possible allies. No reason to waste perfectly good explosives on the towers if those allies are also pinned down."
"So our job is to hang tough and see if the other towns got Uy's message and are able to do something about it?" Jody asked.
"That's one option." Her father cocked an eyebrow. "The other would be to see whether we can do something about it ourselves."
Geoff's eyes widened. "You're joking. Us ?"
"Why not?" Paul countered calmly. "Most of their attention's going to be focused on Stronghold, not out here."
Geoff shook his head disbelievingly. "You're not joking, you're insane. Look, I know you Cobras are supposed to be real hotshots at this sort of thing, but come on ."
"It can't hurt to go back and poke around a little," Jody offered, trying hard to match her father's outward composure. Her skin was crawling at the thought of deliberately walking into enemy territory, but there was no way she was going to let Geoff and Freylan know that. "Anyway, if we get caught, as long as we don't make threatening moves the Trofts will probably just put us in the town with everyone else."
Freylan whistled softly. "Insanity must run in your family."
"Very possibly," Paul conceded. "I'm open to other suggestions."
"Well, I'm not going," Geoff said flatly. "You three want to play hero, go right ahead. But I didn't sign up for any suicide missions."
For a moment the aircar was silent. Then Freylan stirred. "That's fine," he said. "You can stay here. Just make sure you cook that gigger all the way through or you might end up with parasites."
Geoff frowned at him. "What are you talking about? There's a full survival kit back there with a couple dozen ration bars."
"Thirty, actually," Freylan said. "But we're going to be on the move, and won't have time for hunting or cooking. Certainly not that close to the Trofts." He waved a hand around them. "You, on the other hand, will have the time and the distance and the trap. Perfect conditions for living off the land."
"You can't be serious," Geoff protested. "You want me to leave the aircar ? Alone?"
"Why not?" Freylan said coolly. "We're going to."
"But not alone," Geoff said, his voice taking on an edge of pleading. "You can't expect me to--" He shot a hooded look at Jody. "Jody, tell him."
"I'm sorry, but he's right," Jody said, working hard to keep a straight face. Despite the desperate danger they were in, watching Geoff the glib manipulator being verbally outmaneuvered by his quieter, more socially awkward friend and co-worker was just too funny. "Or you could come with us. That way you won't be alone."
" And you won't have to cook," Freylan added.
Geoff shot him a glare. "Yeah, I get it," he growled. "Cute. Both of you."
"So it's agreed," Paul said. "We stick together, and go see what's happening with Stronghold." He lifted a finger. "And in case you're working on your worst-case scenarios, let me set your minds at ease. No matter what the situation is back there, I'm not going to ask any of you to do any fighting."
"Yeah, thanks," Geoff muttered. "That makes it sound so much better."
"What do you want us to do?" Freylan asked.
"You three get the survival bag out and start sorting everything into smaller, carry-size packs," Paul instructed. "There may be some fold-up backpacks in there you can use. I'll go and see if I can scope out the best route."
"I'll come with you," Jody volunteered. "If we're not going to take samples from that gigger, we need to either release it or kill it. I'm not leaving it in the cage to starve to death."
"Better just kill it," Freylan suggested. "You don't want it turning on you when you open the lid."
"And it's not like the forest is likely to run out of the damn things," Geoff added sourly.
The wind was picking up again as Jody and her father left the aircar and made their way south up the hillside. "Clever of them to come during the
"So our job is to hang tough and see if the other towns got Uy's message and are able to do something about it?" Jody asked.
"That's one option." Her father cocked an eyebrow. "The other would be to see whether we can do something about it ourselves."
Geoff's eyes widened. "You're joking. Us ?"
"Why not?" Paul countered calmly. "Most of their attention's going to be focused on Stronghold, not out here."
Geoff shook his head disbelievingly. "You're not joking, you're insane. Look, I know you Cobras are supposed to be real hotshots at this sort of thing, but come on ."
"It can't hurt to go back and poke around a little," Jody offered, trying hard to match her father's outward composure. Her skin was crawling at the thought of deliberately walking into enemy territory, but there was no way she was going to let Geoff and Freylan know that. "Anyway, if we get caught, as long as we don't make threatening moves the Trofts will probably just put us in the town with everyone else."
Freylan whistled softly. "Insanity must run in your family."
"Very possibly," Paul conceded. "I'm open to other suggestions."
"Well, I'm not going," Geoff said flatly. "You three want to play hero, go right ahead. But I didn't sign up for any suicide missions."
For a moment the aircar was silent. Then Freylan stirred. "That's fine," he said. "You can stay here. Just make sure you cook that gigger all the way through or you might end up with parasites."
Geoff frowned at him. "What are you talking about? There's a full survival kit back there with a couple dozen ration bars."
"Thirty, actually," Freylan said. "But we're going to be on the move, and won't have time for hunting or cooking. Certainly not that close to the Trofts." He waved a hand around them. "You, on the other hand, will have the time and the distance and the trap. Perfect conditions for living off the land."
"You can't be serious," Geoff protested. "You want me to leave the aircar ? Alone?"
"Why not?" Freylan said coolly. "We're going to."
"But not alone," Geoff said, his voice taking on an edge of pleading. "You can't expect me to--" He shot a hooded look at Jody. "Jody, tell him."
"I'm sorry, but he's right," Jody said, working hard to keep a straight face. Despite the desperate danger they were in, watching Geoff the glib manipulator being verbally outmaneuvered by his quieter, more socially awkward friend and co-worker was just too funny. "Or you could come with us. That way you won't be alone."
" And you won't have to cook," Freylan added.
Geoff shot him a glare. "Yeah, I get it," he growled. "Cute. Both of you."
"So it's agreed," Paul said. "We stick together, and go see what's happening with Stronghold." He lifted a finger. "And in case you're working on your worst-case scenarios, let me set your minds at ease. No matter what the situation is back there, I'm not going to ask any of you to do any fighting."
"Yeah, thanks," Geoff muttered. "That makes it sound so much better."
"What do you want us to do?" Freylan asked.
"You three get the survival bag out and start sorting everything into smaller, carry-size packs," Paul instructed. "There may be some fold-up backpacks in there you can use. I'll go and see if I can scope out the best route."
"I'll come with you," Jody volunteered. "If we're not going to take samples from that gigger, we need to either release it or kill it. I'm not leaving it in the cage to starve to death."
"Better just kill it," Freylan suggested. "You don't want it turning on you when you open the lid."
"And it's not like the forest is likely to run out of the damn things," Geoff added sourly.
The wind was picking up again as Jody and her father left the aircar and made their way south up the hillside. "Clever of them to come during the
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