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:
“Nothing more?”
The black hood moved side-to-side as Jixtus slowly and deliberately shook his head. “Nothing more.”
Nakirre’s skin stretched in humiliation and powerless anger. To reach out to Jixtus, to reach past that veil and into that hood to the Grysk’s neck and wrap his hands around it. To listen to Jixtus’s gasps and whimpers as Nakirre choked the life out of him …
But he couldn’t. Not with the Grysk fleet lurking nearby. Not with them surely knowing where the Kilhorde was and, worse, where the Kilji homeland lay.
He could kill Jixtus. He could do that. But the aftermath would be that the Illumine and the Kilji species would face an even more horrible death.
And no one would ever again be enlightened.
“You’re angry,” Jixtus said. “Don’t be. Rather, be thankful that you were of even that much use to the Grysks. Otherwise, the Kilji Illumine would by now surely have joined so many others beneath our feet in the cold ashes of history.”
He turned and gestured to Vassal Four. “Now order him to contact my fleet. Whatever the Chiss are planning at Schesa, they’re in for a bitter surprise.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
“Does the summons always come this quickly?” Thurfian asked, skimming over the Circle of Unity protocols with one eye and keeping the other on two of his servants as they packed a travel bag with his official robes of office and a couple of spare sets of informal clothing.
“I really don’t know, Your Venerante,” Thivik said. Unlike Thurfian, he had both eyes and his full attention on the servants and their packing. “There hasn’t been one called since well before my time.”
Which also meant well before the late Patriarch Thooraki’s time. Apparently, this kind of official meeting was as rare as was suggested by the slightly archaic language of the protocols. “Is the tube car ready?”
“Yes, Your Venerante,” Thivik said, checking his chrono. “Don’t worry, we still have time.”
“I know,” Thurfian said. “But I don’t want to be the last one there.”
“You won’t.” Thivik cleared his throat. “There’s one other matter. There’s a young woman on her way here to see you. Mitth’ali’astov—you may remember her?”
Thurfian looked up sharply, the Circle of Unity protocols suddenly forgotten. “Thalias is coming here? Who authorized that?”
“I did,” Thivik said calmly. “She said it was vitally important.”
Thurfian grunted as he looked back at his questis. “Unless it has something to do with Jamiron or our missing Senior Captain Thrawn, it can wait.”
“She didn’t say what the matter concerned.”
“Of course not,” Thurfian said. Which probably meant it was about Thrawn, only she didn’t want to say so.
No surprise there. Ever since Thurfian made that deal with Thalias to get her aboard the Springhawk, she’d completely ignored her side of the bargain. She’d outmaneuvered him first by taking the Trials and moving up the family ranks, then by somehow gaining Patriarch Thooraki’s favor. Those two ploys together had made her essentially untouchable.
But Thooraki wasn’t here to protect her anymore. Thurfian was Patriarch now, with all the power of the Mitth family at his fingertips. Maybe it was finally time to collect on her unpaid debt. “When is she due?” he asked.
“She could arrive at any time.” Thivik pulled out his comm. “In fact, her tube car’s just pulling in. Shall I escort her to your office?”
“No time for that,” Thurfian said. “She can ride to Csaplar with us, or she can wait until I’m back. Her choice.”
“Yes, Your Venerante,” Thivik said, heading for the door. “I’ll ask her.”
Thurfian and the servants arrived a few minutes later to find Thivik and Thalias seated in the center seat cluster of the Patriarch’s private tube car, the four guards who would be accompanying him to the capital spread watchfully around them. The driver was also ready, seated in the top bubble and running a last check on the car’s equipment. “Your Venerante,” Thalias said solemnly to Thurfian as he stepped inside. “Thank you for seeing me on such short notice.”
“I presume Senior Aide Thivik has already informed you I’m heading to Csaplar for an important meeting,” Thurfian said as he seated himself across from her. Outside, the servants finished stowing the luggage in the external compartments, and the car glided smoothly away from the mansion and toward the exit from the vast underground homestead chamber.
“He did,” Thalias said. “He also said you still have some additional work to do before we arrived.”
“Then we’re both on the same page,” Thurfian said. “Whatever you came to say, say it and then go sit in the back of the car.”
“Could we have a bit more privacy?” Thalias asked, pointing to the seats at the front of the car. “What I have to say is confidential.”
Thurfian suppressed a grimace. The Patriarch’s tube car was longer than the standard versions, and as a result had a tendency to bob and sway somewhat more. Most of the homestead’s staff didn’t have a problem with that, but Thurfian had found it a bit disconcerting, especially when he was trying to read.
But he wouldn’t be reading while he was talking to Thalias, and if moving up there got her part of this trip finished off faster, it would be worth it. “Go ahead,” he said.
She stood and headed toward the front group of seats. Thurfian followed, waving back the two guards who started to follow. Thalias sat down in the right-hand seat, and Thurfian took the one facing it. “All right,” he said. “I’m listening.”
Thalias braced herself. This was it. Samakro, Che’ri, Thrawn—they were all counting on her. “I have a request from Senior Captain Thrawn,” she said. “He needs you to—”
“Is he back in the Ascendancy?” Thurfian interrupted.
Thalias broke off, her already tentative conversational momentum skidding to a sudden stop. “What?”
“I asked if Senior Captain Thrawn was back in the Ascendancy,” Thurfian repeated. “Is he ready to surrender himself and to face charges?”
“What charges?” Thalias asked, hearing the bewilderment in her voice.
“Abandoning his command,” Thurfian said. “Making unsanctioned alliances with aliens. Violating the protocols against preemptive strikes and unilateral aggression against those not at war with the Ascendancy. Shall I go on?”
“No, he hasn’t returned,” Thalias said. She took a careful breath, trying to gather together the broken thread of her presentation. “He needs you to help him—”
“No,” Thurfian said, standing up again. “Until he surrenders himself to the Council and the Syndicure to answer for his crimes, neither he nor his surrogates are entitled to a hearing. Not from me.” He gestured to the seat she was still occupying. “You’re welcome to stay up here for the remainder of the trip.” He turned back toward the car’s center—
“Wait a minute,” Thalias protested. She snaked her hand toward him, managing more by luck than by design to catch hold of his sleeve. “That’s it? You don’t even want to hear it?”
“I believe I just said that,” Thurfian said. He tried to pull away; Thalias tightened her grip in response. “Whatever he’s gotten himself into this time, he can just get himself out. We have plenty of trouble right here in the Ascendancy.”