Thrawn Ascendancy Book 3: Lesser Evil
- Автор: Зан Тимоти
- Год: 2021
- Язык: английский
- Год: Random House
- ISBN: 9781473596580
- Жанр: Боевая фантастика
Электронная книга - «Thrawn Ascendancy Book 3: Lesser Evil». Краткое содержание книги:
But for once, she didn’t especially care.
“I know,” she told Wutroow. “But they created a war zone in the middle of a public traffic area, and they need to be sent a clear message that that’s unacceptable. And that if they insist on having that message beaten into their thick skulls, the Expansionary Defense Fleet is willing and able to do so.”
“Understood, Admiral,” Wutroow said. She still sounded dubious, but she recognized that her commander had made up her mind. “In that case, may I suggest we also move them into different orbital shells? That way, they’ll at least have to work at it if they insist on restarting their fight.”
“Good idea,” Ar’alani said. “Oeskym, Octrimo: Get to it.”
She pointed at the patrol cruiser. “And again, we’ll start with that one.”
“I’m not sure what your goal was here, Admiral Ar’alani,” Supreme Admiral Ja’fosk ground out. “But if it was to infuriate the entire Syndicure, you’ve succeeded beautifully.”
“I’m sorry the Syndicure sees things that way, sir,” Ar’alani said, glowering at her cabin’s speaker. She’d just turned over the watch to Senior Commander Biclian and was looking forward to a shower and a good meal when Ja’fosk’s call came through.
Which all by itself marked the occasion as unusual. Supreme General Ba’kif was the one who normally supervised Expansionary Defense Fleet forces and acted as liaison between them and the Council and Syndicure. The fact that Ja’fosk had felt the need to intervene directly—or, more likely, that someone in one of those bodies had ordered him to do so—shaded this conversation toward the ominous. “Did any of these irate Speakers and syndics happen to notice that some of their own ships were in the vicinity when the Tahmie and Droc started shooting at each other?” she continued. “And that stopping the fight when I did may have saved those lives and those cargoes?”
“They did,” Ja’fosk said, his tone marginally less hostile. Having delivered the obligatory rebuke, he perhaps felt he could now tone down the rhetoric a bit. “A couple of them mentioned that, and expressed some appreciation. But even they were adamant that the Expansionary Defense Fleet isn’t even supposed to be hanging around Ascendancy worlds, let alone opening fire on anyone.”
“Did they have any helpful suggestions as to what I should have done instead?” Ar’alani asked. “Or what you or Supreme General Ba’kif should have done, for that matter?”
“There were plenty of suggestions,” Ja’fosk said. “But since you added the word helpful, I can spare you the list.”
“Yes, sir.” Ar’alani hesitated. “They’re worried, aren’t they?”
“Worried, angry, and frightened,” Ja’fosk said heavily. “That’s a bad combination, Ar’alani. Half of them see Jixtus deliberately provoking the Nine and Forty and trying to goad them into fighting among themselves, while the other half are starting to wonder if the Kilji offer of additional warships might just be the lesser evil.”
Ar’alani nodded. That was how she was reading the situation, too. She’d hoped she’d been overly pessimistic. Apparently not. “And we can’t just kick him out.”
“Not unless and until he actually attacks someone,” Ja’fosk agreed. “I’d wonder if any of the Syndics were starting to regret the whole non-intervention policy, except that I also know most of them consider those protocols to have descended from the stars on a sea of fire.”
“Can we at least kick him out of our systems?” Ar’alani pressed. “Sending a laser barrage across his bow doesn’t count as attacking.”
“You’ve been spending too much time with Senior Captain Thrawn,” Ja’fosk said sourly. “Just because he thinks he can get away with it—and because Ba’kif lets him—doesn’t mean the Syndicure will put up with it forever.”
“Just the same, in this case Thrawn might have a good point.”
“I’m not arguing, Admiral,” Ja’fosk said. “I’m just stating facts. Are you ready to head back to Sposia?”
“Almost,” Ar’alani said. “Senior Captain Wutroow just has to finish her part of Patrol Command’s datawork.”
“Tell her to make it fast,” Ja’fosk warned. “The Venturous is en route to Sposia, but it won’t arrive for another few hours. Under the circumstances, I don’t like leaving the UAG unguarded.”
“Understood,” Ar’alani said. “Though I’d rather like to see Jixtus try to break into their vault.”
“You would?” Ja’fosk grunted. “Frankly, I wouldn’t. Get back to guard duty and let’s try to avoid finding out what would happen.”
“Yes, sir,” Ar’alani said. “We’ll be on our way soon.”
“Good. And Ar’alani?”
“Yes?”
“Try not to irritate anyone else today.”
“I’ll do my best, sir,” Ar’alani said. “But I won’t make any promises.”
“I didn’t think you would,” Ja’fosk said. “Safe travels, Admiral.”
“This is unacceptable,” Zistalmu bit out, his face on Thurfian’s comm display twisted with anger and passion. “Completely unacceptable. The Tahmie were merely defending their perfectly legitimate claims; and this Expansionary Defense Fleet admiral thinks she can just move in and humiliate them in front of the entire Jamiron system? Those ships aren’t even supposed to be inside the Ascendancy, let alone involving themselves in struggles that are none of their official concern.”
“I understand your frustration, Syndic Prime,” Thurfian said, though he doubted Zistalmu would be nearly as outraged by the Vigilant’s action if the Tahmie weren’t an on-again, off-again ally of the Irizi. “But with possible enemy warships moving around the Ascendancy, we need all of ours to be close at hand.”
“What enemy warships?” Zistalmu scoffed. “Jixtus and that pathetic little Kilji war cruiser? Really, Your Venerante. The Defense Force could swat down a dozen ships like that before breakfast. And they, at least, know how to properly behave around the Nine and the Forty. I think people like Ar’alani spend so much time outside the Ascendancy that they’ve lost all sense of understanding and propriety.”
“That’s possible,” Thurfian said evasively, determined not to let himself get verbally pinned down. “I’m not clear on what you want from me.”
“I want the Mitth family’s support in getting their collective nose out of our business,” Zistalmu said. “I already have petitions from three of the Nine demanding the Council pull the Expansionary Defense Fleet ships from any world where one or more of the Ruling Families have major interests and send them back out into the Chaos where they’re supposed to be. We have our family fleets; we can protect our own worlds.”
“I’m not sure I agree with sending them out of the Ascendancy,” Thurfian said. “But I can join in a recommendation that they go off and park in Naporar orbit while we find some compromise to keep them from meddling in family affairs.”
“Not exactly what I was looking for.”
“I know. But it’s the best I can do.”
Zistalmu glared a moment, then gave a little shrug. “Very well,” he said. “As long as they’re not poking their fingers everywhere, I suppose they can sit at Naporar. Easier to ignore there, anyway.”
“Agreed,” Thurfian said. “I’ll have my petition drawn up and sent to you within the hour.”
“Thank you.” Zistalmu paused. “I presume you’ve also heard that the Springhawk has returned without Senior Captain Thrawn?”