Timothy Zahn: Outbound Flight

Doriana stared at him, a cold hand closing around his heart. Did Mitth’raw’nuruodo know about his conversations with Kav?

Had he or one of the other Chiss seen Kav pass him that holdout blaster?

Or had he merely deduced that Doriana would decide to murder him?

Slowly, almost unwillingly, his hand crept toward the hidden blaster, the movement blocked from Mitth’raw’nuruodo’s view by the edge of the desk. Certainly it made sense to cover his tracks this way, he reminded himself firmly. Loose ends could be fatal to someone living his kind of double life. Sidious would insist on it, as well, especially given that Mitth’raw’nuruodo had seen the Sith Lord and heard his name.

And after helping to bring about the deaths of fifty thousand people on Outbound Flight, one more death certainly couldn’t matter.

Mitth’raw’nuruodo was still waiting, watching him silently. Doriana closed his hand around the grip of his blaster…

And paused. Mitth’raw’nuruodo, brilliant tactician.

Equally brilliant strategist. A being who could take on Republic warships, nomadic pirates, and even Jedi, and win against them all.

And Doriana was actually considering killing him?

“What are you waiting for?” Kav broke impatiently into his thoughts. “You have him alone and unprotected. Shoot him!”

Doriana smiled tightly; and with that, the underlying tension that had been nagging at him ever since his task force’s destruction finally faded away. “Don’t be absurd, Vicelord,” he said. Pulling out the blaster, he leaned over and set it on an empty chair between him and Mitth’raw’nuruodo. “I would as soon shatter thousand-year-old crystal as kill a being such as this.”

Mitth’raw’nuruodo inclined his head, his eyes glittering. “So I was indeed right about you,” he said.

“Eventually,” Doriana conceded. “But then, I don’t imagine you’re wrong very often.”

“Then let this be your final mistake,” Kav bit out, slapping at his desk chair’s arm and popping open a hidden panel. In a single smooth motion he scooped out another hold-out blaster, pointed it at Mitth’raw’nuruodo, and fired.

The shot never reached him. Instead, it struck the faint haze that had suddenly appeared between them, then bounced straight back into Kav’s torso.

The Neimoidian had just enough time to look startled before he collapsed forward onto the desk and lay still.

It was only then, as Doriana shifted his stunned gaze from Kav’s body to the haze surrounding the desk, that he recognized its shape and coloration.

He looked through the edge of the shield at Mitth’raw’nuruodo. “It was still something of a risk, wasn’t it?”he asked, striving to keep his voice conversational.

“Not really,” the other assured him. “The shield generator was simple enough to remove from one of the droidekas you provided for me. As I said at the time, we’ve had some experience with reversing the polarity of such devices.” He gestured. “And it was easily predictable that Vicelord Kav would claim his chair and desk for his own, and thus position himself for his own destruction.”

“I meant the risk you took with me,” Doriana said.

“The shield wouldn’t have blocked my shot.”

“No, it wouldn’t,” Mitth’raw’nuruodo agreed. “But I had to be certain that you were someone I could trust.”

Doriana frowned. “Why?”

For a moment Mitth’raw’nuruodo didn’t answer. Then, leaning over, he picked up the blaster Doriana had discarded.

“You and your Master, Darth Sidious, told me of a people you call the Far Outsiders gathering at the edge of the galaxy,” he said, turning the weapon over in his hands. “Have you ever actually seen these beings?”

“As far as I know, we haven’t,” Doriana admitted.

“I thought not,” Mitth’raw’nuruodo said, suddenly intense. “But we have.”

A cold chill ran up Doriana’s back. “Where?”

“At the far edge of the Chiss Ascendancy,”

Mitth’raw’nuruodo said, his voice dark and grim. “It was a small reconnaissance force, but it fought with a savage ferocity before it was finally repulsed.”

“How many ships were there?” Doriana asked, his mind kicking into high speed. Darth Sidious coveted information of this sort. Enough of it might even persuade him to forgive Doriana the loss of his Trade Federation task force. “What sort of weaponry did they have? Do you have any combat data?”

“I have some,” Mitth’raw’nuruodo said. “Admiral Ar’alani was in command of the force that ultimately drove them away. That’s why she came personally to investigate Car’das and his companions. We wondered if the Republic they spoke of might be allied with the invaders.”

“And that’s also why she was willing to look the other way while you dealt with the Vagaari,” Doriana said as a final nagging piece of the puzzle finally fell into place. “A two-front war would be exceptionally nasty.”

“Correct,” Mitth’raw’nuruodo said, and Doriana thought he could hear a note of approval at his quick deduction.

“My actions were contrary to official Chiss policy, but she knew as well as I that the Vagaari had to be dealt with, as quickly and decisively as possible. I will speak to her; if she’s willing, I’ll provide you with copies of the information you seek.”

“Thank you,” Doriana said. “Now. A moment ago you spoke of trust between us. What exactly did you have in mind?”

“For the moment, nothing,” Mitth’raw’nuruodo said.

“Each of us has our own peoples to defend and our own politics to deal with. But in the future, who can tell? Perhaps someday our peoples will end up fighting side by side against this threat.”

“I hope so,” Doriana said. “I, for my part, intend to work with our leaders to prepare as best I can for that day.”

“As will I,” Mitth’raw’nuruodo said. “Though the obstacles at my end may be difficult to overcome.”

Doriana thought about Lord Sidious and his hatred of non-humans. It wouldn’t exactly be easy at his end, either. “I’ve seen you work military miracles,” he said. “I’m sure you can work political ones, as well.”

“Perhaps,” Mitth’raw’nuruodo said. “My brother may be able to assist in that area when he returns.” He stood up and held out the blaster. “At any rate, you and your ship are free to go.”

Doriana waved away the proffered weapon. “Keep it, Commander,” he said. “Think of it as a souvenir of our first victory together.”

“Thank you,” Mitth’raw’nuruodo said gravely, slipping the blaster into a pocket. “May it not be our last.”

“Indeed,” Doriana agreed. “Which reminds me. There’s one other small matter I’d like to discuss with you…”

“You’re joking,” Car’das said, frowning at Thrawn.

“He’s offering me a job?”

“Not just a job, but a highly placed leadership position,” Thrawn said. “He wanted me to invite you to accompany him back to the Republic on the Darkvenge so that you could discuss it.”

“This doesn’t make any sense,” Car’das protested. “I’m barely out of school. What kind of high-power position could I possibly be qualified for?”

“Age is not necessarily the best indicator of talent and ability,” Thrawn pointed out. “In your case, he was highly impressed by the role you played in luring the Vagaari into position for the attack. You’ve shown yourself to be intelligent, resourceful, and able to remain cool under fire, qualities he prizes as well as I do.”

Car’das rubbed his cheek thoughtfully. It was still ridiculous, of course. But it was also far too intriguing to simply dismiss out of hand. “Did he say what sort of job it would be?”