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:
The Kilji Illumine couldn’t hope to conquer the Grysks, of course. One look at Jixtus’s terrifying warship had convinced him of that. Their enlightenment would have to be done from the inside, as partners to the Grysks’ shadowy leadership. Jixtus had already hinted that such cooperation might be possible when the Chiss Ascendancy finally lay broken and vanquished at their feet.
Qilori and the Pathfinders, though, were a different story. Nakirre didn’t know how many of them there were, or where they were centered, or even whether they were a species, a cult, or something else. But the Illumine would find them and conquer them, and they would be led to enlightenment, just like those nations the Kilhorde was even now battering into submission.
Or so he assumed. The glowing reports of victory he’d been receiving had ceased a full day ago, and all of Nakirre’s efforts to resume communication had failed. He hoped his generals hadn’t been so foolishly ambitious as to stretch their attack to the southeast-nadir Ascendancy world of Colonial Station Chaf. The long-range triad transmitter there was his only link to those forces, and disrupting its operation would leave them entirely on their own.
His generals were enlightened, certainly. But they needed the firm hand of their generalirius to truly find the proper path.
“Perhaps I am,” Qilori said stiffly. “But Thrawn’s whereabouts may not be the most urgent issue at the moment. I’ve been watching the arrival listings, and two major Expansionary Defense Fleet ships have now shown up at Schesa: the Grayshrike and the Vigilant.”
“Well, well,” Jixtus said. His voice was soft, but there was something there that sent a ripple of dread through Nakirre’s skin. “I’ve been hoping I’d run across those two ships again.”
“You know them?” Nakirre asked.
“Oh, yes,” Jixtus said in the same unnerving tone. “Our encounters have cost me dearly. I wonder why they’re all the way out there instead of guarding some of the more major planets.”
“I have no idea,” Qilori said, sounding suddenly even more nervous.
“I know that,” Jixtus said. “Stay there and collect as much information as you can. I’ll gather my fleet, then come to Schesa and pick you up.”
“Yes, sir,” Qilori said.
“End transmission,” Jixtus ordered. “Open another one for Rhigal and Patriarch Rivlex.”
There was a moment of silence. “End transmission,” Nakirre ordered. “Open contact for Patriarch Rivlex.”
“I obey,” Vassal Four said.
Jixtus turned his veiled face toward Nakirre, probably annoyed yet again that the Kilji vassals obeyed only their generalirius. “You’re going to have Rivlex send his fleet to Schesa?” Nakirre asked before Jixtus could complain.
“I don’t need him to send my fleet anywhere,” Jixtus countered. “Is my transmission ready?”
“Vassal Four?” Nakirre prompted.
“Transmission open,” Vassal Four confirmed. “Wait. No. The transmission is being redirected.”
“Redirected where?” Jixtus asked.
“To a ship,” Vassal Four said, clearly confused. “But I set the transmission to go to Rhigal.”
“Obviously, the Patriarch is traveling somewhere,” Jixtus said. “Accept the redirection and follow it.”
“But if the message is not direct, Patriarch Rivlex may not know to answer,” Vassal Four protested.
“It’s his same private contact,” Jixtus said impatiently. “Just accept the redirection.”
“Accept the redirection,” Nakirre confirmed.
“I obey.”
For a moment there was silence. Then the comm pinged with the signal of a connection. “This is Patriarch Rivlex,” Rivlex’s voice came. “Is that you, Jixtus?”
“It is, Your Venerante,” Jixtus confirmed.
“What are you calling about?” the Patriarch asked, sounding distracted. “And make it fast—my shuttle leaves for the Syndicure landing area in fifteen minutes.”
Nakirre felt a stretch of sudden concern. Rivlex had gone to Csilla? Had the Chiss figured out what Jixtus was doing?
“This won’t take long, Your Venerante,” Jixtus promised. “I merely wanted to ask you what was happening at Schesa.”
“Schesa? As far as I know, not a thing. Why?”
“A group of warships has gathered there,” Jixtus said. “I wondered if there was a mission being planned for the Chaos.”
“Were these Expansionary Defense Fleet warships?” Rivlex asked. “If so, it’s probably nothing. The Syndicure has ordered them removed from guard duty and to assemble at Naporar or other out-of-the-way systems while the Aristocra decide what to do with them.”
“Oh?” Jixtus asked. “Are there thoughts of dismantling that part of the fleet?”
“I don’t know,” Rivlex said with strained patience. “I imagine that’ll be one of the items the Circle will discuss.”
“The Circle?”
“The Circle of Unity,” Rivlex said. “It’s a gathering of all nine of the Ruling Families’ Patriarchs. It’s going to convene soon, and I have no intention of being the last one there.”
“My apologies, Your Venerante,” Jixtus said. “We’ll speak again later.”
He gestured to Vassal Four. But Rivlex had already closed the communication. “So all the Chiss leaders will be in one place?” Nakirre asked with cautious excitement. The opportunity such a convocation presented …
“No,” Jixtus said firmly. “I know what you’re thinking, but no. Even if we could get through Csilla’s defenses, killing the Ruling Families’ Patriarchs would accomplish nothing.”
“I never said we would kill them,” Nakirre said, skin stretching with frustration. Were death and destruction the only things Grysks could imagine? “If they could be captured and brought to enlightenment, we could subdue the Ascendancy without firing a single laser.”
Jixtus gave a contemptuous snort. “You’re a fool, Generalirius. The Chiss won’t accept your path. Certainly not willingly. Weren’t you listening to Thrawn at Zyzek, when he said the Chiss have their own ancient paths? They won’t be interested in yours.”
“Our path is superior,” Nakirre insisted.
“No,” Jixtus said flatly. “Your path is simplistic, self-contradictory, and self-defeating. The only ones who accept it are those the Kiljis are able to force it upon.”
“You lie,” Nakirre bit out, suddenly furious. How dare he denigrate the enlightenment that way?
“No, for once I’m telling the truth.” Jixtus waved a gloved hand at the bridge consoles. “Look at your own servants. Did you choose them for skill, initiative, or even enthusiasm? Of course not. You chose them because they were willing to trade their last scraps of freedom to you in the hope that you would take care of them for the remainder of their lives.”
“The path of enlightenment provides all their needs.”
“You provide all their needs,” Jixtus said. “You run every facet of their lives for them, and in turn they happily repeat the words of your so-called enlightenment back at you.”
“You claim they lack skill and enthusiasm,” Nakirre said stiffly. “How then do you explain the Kilhorde’s battle victories against their foes?”
“Why do you think I chose those particular nations for the Kilhorde to face?” Jixtus countered. “They’re poor worlds and desperate, unable to resist your attack but also willing to accept your enlightenment in return for peace and comfort.”
Nakirre stared at him. “Then the Kilji Illumine has meant nothing to you?”
“It has meant exactly what it was always intended to mean,” Jixtus said. “Your Kilhorde has blocked any surviving Chiss refugees from fleeing to those worlds and regrouping. You have provided me with a transport that the Ascendancy’s military can examine at length, assuring itself that the Kiljis are not a threat, while the reality of their true enemy remains hidden. Those are the services that the Kiljis have provided.”