Timothy Zahn - Outbound Flight

“My intent was to leave that decision largely to Captain Qennto,” Thrawn said. “He’s been working on this inventory for some weeks now and has an extensive knowledge of the contents.

I can provide you with a copy of the complete listing before you leave.”

“A listing of what’s in here now?” Ar’alani asked. “Or a listing of what was here before he removed his chosen items?”

“Both lists will be available,” Thrawn assured her, taking another step toward the door. “And my spot checks have shown the lists and descriptions are accurate enough. At any rate, you’ll have time on the voyage home to examine both the lists and the treasures themselves.”

“Or I could examine them right now,” Ar’alani said, gesturing to one of her two warriors. “You—get the listing. I think, Commander, that I’d prefer to take my own inventory.”

“As you wish, Admiral,” Thrawn said. “Unfortunately, I’ll be unable to assist you in that task. There are administrative matters that require my attention.”

“I can make do without your assistance,” Ar’alani said.

From the tone of her voice, Car’das had the feeling that she would just as soon not have him looking over her shoulder.

“Make sure I have a shuttle with which to return to my ship when I’m finished.” Her eyes flicked to Thrawn’s brother. “And I think it would be wise if Syndic Mitth’ras’safis remained with me. With the syndic’s permission, of course.”

“I have no objections,” Mitth’ras’safis assured her. To Car’das’s eye, his face looked a bit troubled.

“Then I’ll look forward to conversing again with you at your convenience,” Thrawn said. Catching Car’das’s eye, he nodded toward the door.

They were twenty meters down the corridor before Car’das dared to speak. “You don’t really have any administrative work to deal with, do you?” he asked Thrawn, keeping his voice low. “You just wanted to get away from the admiral for a while.”

“A harsh accusation,” Thrawn said mildly. “You’ll tarnish Ferasi’s high opinion of me.”

Ferasi’s—? Car’das looked behind him, to discover that Maris had indeed followed them out of the treasure room. “Oh.

Hi,” he said lamely.

“I think you missed the point, Jorj,” she said.

“Commander Thrawn didn’t duck out on the admiral. He maneuvered her into deciding on her own to stay behind.”

“What leads you to that conclusion?” Thrawn asked.

“The fact that this is the first I’ve heard about Rak spending weeks taking inventory of the treasure,” she said. “He would certainly have mentioned something like that to me.”

“Yet he didn’t deny it,” Thrawn pointed out.

“Because that part of the conversation was in Cheunh,”

Car’das said, finally catching on. “Which he doesn’t understand.”

“Excellent,” Thrawn said, nodding. “Both of you.”

“So what exactly is going on?” Maris asked.

They rounded a corner, and Thrawn abruptly picked up his pace. “I’ve had a report of another Vagaari attack, this one still in progress,” he said. “I’m going to take a look.”

“How far away is it?” Car’das asked. “I mean, the treasure room’s not going to hold their attention that long.”

“It’s approximately six standard hours away,” Thrawn said. “And I fully expect Admiral Ar’alani to deliver a severe reprimand when I return, assuming she delays her departure until then. For now, though, all I need is for her to be distracted long enough for us to slip away.”

Car’das’s stomach tightened. “You’re not just going there to observe, are you?”

“The purpose of the trip is to evaluate the situation,”

Thrawn said evenly. “But if I judge there’s a reasonable chance of eliminating this threat to the Chiss Ascendancy…” He left the sentence unfinished, but there was no doubt as to his intentions.

He was going to attack.

And from the way he’d pulled Car’das out of the treasure room, it was clear he expected his language tutor tocome along for the ride.

Car’das took a deep breath. He’d already been through more space battles than he liked, and going up against a fully armed Vagaari raiding party was not something he really wanted to do. But maybe there was still a chance of gracefully backing out. “I’m sure you’ll do whatever is right,” he said diplomatically.

“Good luck, and—”

“May I go with you?” Maris interrupted him.

Car’das threw her a startled look. Her eyes flicked to his, a hard-edged warning in her expression. “It might be good to have a witness along,” she continued. “Especially someone who has no connection to any of the Ruling Families.”

“I agree,” Thrawn said. “That’s why I’m taking Car’das.”

Car’das winced. So much for a graceful exit.

“Commander, I appreciate the offer—”

“Two witnesses would be better,” Maris said.

“Actually, Qennto would be a better choice than either Maris or me,” Car’das tried again. “He’s the one—”

“In theory, yes,” Thrawn agreed, his eyes on Maris.

“But no matter how carefully planned or executed, a battle always entails risks.”

“He’s the one who really likes this kind of excitement—”

“So does flying with Rak,” Maris countered. “I’m willing to take my chances.”

“I could go get him out of the treasure room—”

“I’m not sure I am,” Thrawn countered in the same tone. “Should you be injured or killed, I wouldn’t want to be the one to bring that news to your captain.”

“If we’re on the bridge together, you won’t have to,”

Maris pointed out. “If I die, you probably will, too, and someone else would get stuck with that job.” She jerked a thumb at Car’das. “It sounds like Jorj would rather stay behind anyway.

He can do it.”

“Forget it,” Car’das said firmly, his mind suddenly made up for him. He’d seen Thrawn’s combat abilities, and he’d seen Qennto’s temper, and he knew which one sounded safer. “If Maris goes, we both go.”

“I’m honored by your trust,” Thrawn said as they reached the shuttle bay “Come then. May warriors’ fortune smile on our efforts.”

One minute to breakout,“ the helmsman called.

“Acknowledged,” Thrawn replied. “Warriors, stand ready.”

Standing behind the commander’s chair, Car’das stole a look at Maris. Her face looked a little pale above the wide collar of her vac suit, but her eyes were clear and her jaw firmly set.

Probably looking forward to Thrawn being all noble and honorable, he thought sourly. Waiting for him to bolster her already stratospheric opinion of him. Women.

So what in blazes was he doing here?

“If the reports are accurate, we’ll arrive in a safe area a short way beyond the outer edge of the battle zone,” Thrawn said, his eyes dropping to the helmets gripped in their hands.

“Still, it would be wise for you to have your helmets already in place.”

“We can get them on fast enough if we need to,” Maris assured him.

Thrawn hesitated, then nodded. “Very well. Then stand ready.”

He swiveled back to face forward. Car’das watched the countdown timer, his mouth feeling uncomfortably dry; and as it hit zero the starlines appeared out of the hyperspace sky and collapsed into stars.

And through the canopy he found himself staring at the most horrific sight he’d ever witnessed.

It wasn’t the simple pirate attack he’d expected, with three or four Vagaari marauders preying on a freighter or starliner. Stretched out before them, writhing against the backdrop of a cloud-flecked blue-green world, were at least two hundred ships of various sizes locked in battle, linked together in twos or threes or groups by savage exchanges of laser- and missile fire. In the distance, on the far side of the planet, he could see the glittering points of a hundred more ships, silently waiting their turn.