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:
Nakirre looked at Jixtus with surprise. “He has prisoners?”
“No,” Jixtus bit out. “He doesn’t.”
“He says he does.”
“He lies,” Jixtus said. “As I told you already, he’s hunting for information. This is a trick.”
“How do you know?” Nakirre persisted.
Again Jixtus fell silent. “Tell me how you know, Jixtus of the Grysks,” Nakirre repeated, making it an order this time. “If the Chiss mounted a raid, there would of course be prisoners. If there was a battle, even the most fearsome often leaves survivors. Tell me now, or I shall ask him.”
“There was a battle,” Jixtus said reluctantly. “But there were no survivors.”
“How can you be certain?”
“Because I was the one who sent the Watith against the Chiss,” Jixtus said. “Twenty-three Watith went into that battle. Twenty-three Watith died.”
“I ask again: How do you know that?”
“There was an observer at the battle,” Jixtus said. He sounded more on balance now. “One who was concealed from the combatants’ view. He brought me that news.”
“I see,” Nakirre said, pretending he was satisfied.
Only he wasn’t.
Because an observer who had spoken of Watith deaths would also have warned that the Springhawk had survived that battle. Yet Jixtus had clearly been surprised by the Chiss warship’s arrival. Was it merely the Springhawk’s appearance here at Zyzek, and not the simple fact of its survival, that had startled him?
And how did he know that this Chiss was seeking information? Did Jixtus know him personally?
For a moment Nakirre considered asking those questions. But there would be no gain. Jixtus was withholding information, and would undoubtedly continue to do so. That was the way of those who lacked enlightenment.
No matter. There was after all another source of information close at hand. “Vassal One: Yaw rotation to face the Chiss ship,” he ordered. He waited until the Whetstone was lined up precisely on the incoming warship, then keyed his mike. “Senior Captain Thrawn, this is Generalirius Nakirre of the Kilji Illumine warship Whetstone,” he called. “Tell me how you come to have Watith prisoners.”
“I greet you, Generalirius Nakirre,” Thrawn said. “Are you an ally or trading associate of the Watith?”
“Sadly, I am not yet either,” Nakirre said. “But perhaps soon.”
“Ah,” Thrawn said. “You have come here to initiate new trade relationships, then?”
Nakirre’s skin stretched in a wry smile. Jixtus had been right: This Chiss was on the hunt for information. “Not specifically,” he said. “We of the Illumine travel the Chaos teaching others the Kilji way of order and enlightenment.”
“A noble undertaking,” Thrawn said. “Have the Watith been among your students?”
“Again, not yet,” Nakirre said. “We are newly arrived in this part of space. But such things are for the future. Tell me how you come to have Watith prisoners.”
“For the moment, those details must remain confidential.”
“No matter,” Nakirre said. “I will accept your prisoners and return them to their home.”
“Do you know where that home is?”
Nakirre hesitated. If he said yes, Thrawn would likely ask for the coordinates and take the prisoners there himself. If he said no, Thrawn would probably refuse to hand them over. “I have already made many contacts among the traders here,” he said, choosing a third option. “One of them can surely provide that information.”
“I appreciate your offer,” Thrawn said. “But I cannot in good conscience accept it. If there are no Watith here to receive the prisoners, we will take our search elsewhere.”
“I would not have you go to such trouble.”
“That is my choice to make, not yours.”
“Enlightenment requires that I serve others.”
“You serve here best by permitting me to go my way,” Thrawn said. “Or does your enlightenment require you to take away my freedom of choice?”
“Let him go,” Jixtus murmured. “Just let him go.”
Nakirre felt a ripple of anger. Anger at Jixtus; anger at Thrawn. There were important details here that neither of them was willing to give him.
He needed Jixtus and the Grysks to show him which nations were most open to conquest and thus enlightenment. He didn’t need Thrawn. “You should learn of what you speak before offering judgment,” he said, keying his board to begin the Whetstone’s ramp-up to combat status. “Someday soon I shall bring the Kilji philosophy to the Chiss.”
“I fear you will find little interest,” Thrawn said. “We have our own ancient paths.”
“The Kilji path will prove superior.”
“No,” Thrawn said, his voice flat. “It will not.”
“Again, you dismiss our wisdom without even hearing it.”
“In my experience, superior wisdom can stand on its own merits,” Thrawn said. “It does not require a warship to force acceptance.”
“You also bring a warship to this place.”
“But I do not claim to offer others superior wisdom,” Thrawn said. “Nor do I intend to impose my wisdom upon others.”
“He’s trying to goad you into attacking him,” Jixtus warned quietly, his voice sounding strained. “Don’t let him.”
Nakirre felt a stretch of contempt. Why shouldn’t he let the Chiss build his own destruction? The Whetstone was far mightier than Thrawn’s Springhawk. It would be the work of a few minutes to destroy him.
“He’s trying to obtain data on the Whetstone’s capabilities,” Jixtus went on. “And on your abilities as its commander.”
And why shouldn’t he demonstrate the might of a Kilji war cruiser? Whatever knowledge Thrawn might gain would be lost in the abyss of his death.
Still, there were others here who would witness that battle. Perhaps it would be unwise to show them the full might of the Kiljis before the Kilhorde visited their worlds to show them the path of enlightenment.
But to even look as if he was allowing the Chiss to dictate his course of action …
“Warships, this is Zyzek System Defense.” A new voice came over the bridge speaker. “You are both requested to stand down.”
Nakirre felt a ripple of cold amusement. The four patrol craft that had risen from the mass of merchant ships and split into pairs to confront the Whetstone and Springhawk were smaller and even more pathetic than the Chiss warship. Should they demand battle, it would take only a single laser volley to send them beyond all chance of enlightenment.
“The Kiljis cannot enlighten them if they are dead,” Jixtus reminded him.
He was right, of course. More important, perhaps, it gave him a legitimate excuse to refuse combat with the Chiss.
“Zyzek System Defense, I comply with your request,” he said. “Senior Captain Thrawn, you may keep your prisoners. I will see you again when I arrive among your people to change the ancient paths of the Chiss to the fuller enlightenment of the Kiljis.”
“I will look forward to our next encounter,” Thrawn said. “Farewell.”
“Until the meeting,” Nakirre said.
He keyed off and turned yet again to Jixtus. “You spoke of four nations that the Kiljis should first seek to enlighten,” he said. “I choose instead the Chiss.”
“Not yet,” Jixtus said. “You must start with other beings.”
“Why?”
Jixtus shook his head, the motion rippling the hood and veil. “Because I know these Chiss, Generalirius. They are resilient and powerful. I’ve seen them resist attack from without and manipulation from within. Only a combination of the two will succeed in bringing about their destruction.”