Thrawn Ascendancy Book 3: Lesser Evil

Thrawn had suggested that the Jandalin approach the Pleknok system from a specific direction. Lappincyk had countered that the hijackers’ transport would be coming straight from Glastis 3, and that the best chance of intercepting it would be to follow that same vector.

Six hours before arrival, the two of them had a long, quiet talk beside the navigation console. Thrass couldn’t hear what they were saying, but when the conversation was over Lappincyk ordered the pilot to follow Thrawn’s course.

Thirty-two hours after leaving Glastis 3, they arrived.

“Scan the area,” Lappincyk ordered from his usual seat in the center of the acceleration couch. “Passive sensors only. Focus on low-orbit corridors.”

“Hopefully, they haven’t already completed their business and left,” Thrass muttered, watching the display fill in as sensors began collecting and compiling the data.

“Unlikely,” Lappincyk said. “We should be faster than their transport.”

“Considerably faster,” Thrawn agreed. “Actually, I’m almost certain we’ve arrived ahead of them.”

“What if they’re running with an augmented drive?” Thrass asked.

Thrawn shook his head. “The fifty hours required for them to travel from the initial attack at Sposia to where they released the cargo ship at Glastis 3 argues against that theory.”

“They were lugging a cargo ship with them that whole time,” Thrass pointed out, wondering why he was even arguing the point. Apparently, the low-level tension that had been nagging at him since they left Glastis 3 had suddenly blossomed to full strength now that they were actually here. “That would have slowed them down.”

“I took that into account.”

Thrass ground his teeth. Every single time he tried to debate something with Thrawn, he ended up on the losing side.

“We have movement, Senior Aide,” the sensor officer said. “Two ships in low orbit. Configuration … difficult to establish with passive sensors, but they appear to be freighter-class vessels of non-Chiss design.”

“The thieves’ buyers, presumably,” Lappincyk said.

“Or other customers,” Thrass said.

“Perhaps,” Lappincyk agreed. At least with him, Thrass thought sourly, he could occasionally win one. “Keep an eye on them. Now—” He threw a quick look at Thrawn. “—run an active sweep across a thirty-degree cone behind us.”

“Sir?” the sensor officer asked, frowning at Lappincyk over his shoulder.

“Thirty-degree sensor cone aft,” Lappincyk repeated. “We’re looking for—”

“Contact!” the pilot snapped. “Portside zenith, range twenty kilometers. Course running parallel and closing.”

“Sensors?” Lappincyk prompted.

“On it, sir,” the sensor officer said tensely. “It’s … sir, it’s a Chiss light cruiser. Configuration and markings identify it as Clarr family.”

“Senior Aide, they’re demanding we identify ourselves,” the pilot put in. “Tight beam, low power.”

“Respond with the same parameters,” Lappincyk ordered. Pulling out his mike, he keyed it on. “This is Stybla’ppin’cykok, senior aide to Patriarch Stybla’mi’ovodo, aboard the patrol ship Jandalin,” he said. “And you?”

There was a short pause. “Captain Clarr’os’culry,” a voice came back. “Currently in command of the Clarr light cruiser Orisson. What the hell are you doing here, Jandalin?”

Thrass caught his breath as the name suddenly clicked. Captain Roscu … only the last time he’d heard that name it had been Mid Captain Roscu of the Expansionary Defense Fleet, and she and Thrawn had been clashing over Chiss non-intervention policy in the middle of a pirate attack on a Garwian trading hub.

And now she was commanding a Clarr family ship?

“We’re hunting pirates who hijacked a Stybla cargo ship over Sposia a few days ago,” Lappincyk told her. “We believe the pirates were led by someone of Clarr blood, which I presume is the reason you’re here.”

“Our reasons and activities are our concern,” Roscu growled. “How did you find this place?”

“That’s our concern,” Lappincyk said. “So you concede that the hijackers are Clarr blood?”

“I concede nothing,” Roscu said. “Nor do I need to justify Clarr actions to a Stybla. I’ll say this just once: This is a Clarr family matter, and you will leave this system immediately.”

“Excuse me, Captain, but it was our ship and cargo that were stolen,” Lappincyk reminded her. “We have every right to be here.”

“Check your guidelines and protocols, Senior Aide,” Roscu said. “As an agent of one of the Nine and a former Expansionary Defense Fleet command officer, I have every right to order you out of a region where imminent military action is expected.”

“I don’t accept your authority to give that order,” Lappincyk said stiffly. “The Stybla family has a vital interest—”

“Senior Aide?” Thrass murmured. “I believe you have a better hand to play.” He pointed at Thrawn.

For a second Lappincyk just stared at him in apparent confusion. Then his expression suddenly cleared. “You misunderstand the situation, Captain Roscu,” he said.