Thrawn Ascendancy Book 3: Lesser Evil

“I thought it likely,” Thrawn said. “These Kiljis seem impatient, even short-tempered. I also note that their ships are designed around a first-strike strategy. Was it the quick victory, then?”

“Not the victory itself,” Samakro said, “but the fact that the commander gave up so easily on his attack. I realize his maneuvers were designed to allow the other cruiser to escape unscathed, or at least relatively so, but that behavior doesn’t mesh with their vocal arrogance. I’d have thought sheer stubbornness would keep them fighting longer.”

“Agreed,” Thrawn said. “And when a person or species acts contrary to what seems to be their nature, one must look to see if there’s a higher factor or directive involved.”

“Senior Captain, the Aelos is hailing us,” Brisch put in.

Thrawn touched the comm key. “This is Senior Captain Thrawn,” he called, switching back to Taarja. “My apologies for the attack, Uingali foar Marocsaa. It appeared you were preparing to fire on the Kiljis, and I didn’t want you revealing your true identity.”

“So I gathered,” Uingali said calmly. “My compliments on the quick and efficient way you delivered that message, given that any comm signal would have been intercepted by our common enemy. They are our common enemy, are they not?”

“They are certainly a common opponent,” Thrawn said. “Whether we and the Kiljis are truly enemies still remains to be seen. I trust your systems have recovered from our attack?”

Uingali made an odd sound. “In fact, Senior Captain, they were never affected. You didn’t see—and neither, I presume, did our enemies—that I had moved a shuttle into position just off my bow where it was likely to escape notice. It was that shuttle that took the brunt of your plasma sphere.”

“Indeed,” Thrawn said, and Samakro could hear both admiration and amusement in his voice. “Well done. You and your people continue to surprise and impress me.”

“We’ll take that as a compliment,” Uingali said. “I presume you’re here to return the Magys and her companion to her people?”

“Just the Magys,” Thrawn said, the amusement fading from his voice. “But we’ll speak of that later. Before we continue inward, I’d like to take a few hours and collect some of the debris for analysis.”

“We shall leave you to that,” Uingali said. “In the meantime, would you like us to retrieve the escape pod?”

Thrawn sat up straighter in his command chair. “I was unaware a pod had been jettisoned.”

“It was near the end of the battle,” Uingali said. “After the smaller ship escaped to hyperspace, just prior to the larger ship’s destruction. From your position, it wouldn’t have been visible.”

“You’re tracking it?”

“Yes,” Uingali said. “Would you like its position and vector?”

“Yes, thank you,” Thrawn said. “With your permission, I’d like to take the Springhawk to retrieve it.”

“I have no objections,” Uingali said. “I presume you’ll share its contents with the Paccosh?”

“Certainly,” Thrawn said. “Azmordi?”

“I have the pod’s location, sir,” the pilot confirmed.

“Take us to it,” Thrawn said. “Best possible speed.”

“Yes, sir.”

“We’ll speak again soon, Uingali foar Marocsaa,” Thrawn said, and keyed off the comm.

“You think the ship’s commander might have been less willing to sacrifice himself than he was his ship and crew?” Samakro asked as the Springhawk leapt forward, driving through the debris cloud and toward the distant mark Azmordi had added to the tactical display.

“Unlikely,” Thrawn said, an intense expression on his face. “I expect that aliens who call themselves enlightened will follow their leaders unquestioningly. But there was likely someone aboard who might have felt differently.”

Samakro looked out the viewport with sudden understanding. “They had a navigator.”

“I would say almost certainly,” Thrawn said. “And whether General Crofyp released him or he made the decision to leave the ship himself, I think we’ll find him in that pod.”

Samakro smiled tightly. “And where you find a ship’s navigator, you find where that ship has been.”

“And perhaps who that ship has been associating with,” Thrawn said. “Senior Commander Afpriuh, prepare a tractor beam.”

He looked up at Samakro. “And you, Mid Captain Samakro, please prepare a proper welcome for our guest.”