Thrawn Ascendancy Book 3: Lesser Evil

“My information about you and the Seekers’ Shadehouse came from Syndic Mitth’ras’safis,” Thalias said, trying one last time. “Does that help?”

Borika’s expression changed subtly. “You told me it came from Senior Aide Thivik.”

“The data cylinder came from him, yes,” Thalias said. “But he told me Syndic Thrass had compiled it.”

Borika seemed to measure her. “You have the cylinder with you?”

“Yes.” Carefully, keeping her movements slow, Thalias opened the back of her questis and pulled out the data cylinder.

“Set it on the back of that couch, then take two steps back.”

Thalias did as ordered. Borika stepped forward, picked up the cylinder, and slipped it into her shoulder-slung questis. She keyed it, then lifted it with her free hand and peered at the display. Thalias waited, listening to the thudding of her heart.

“Yes,” Borika murmured, lowering the questis. “The dates match up.”

“So you knew him?” Thalias asked.

“He came and talked to me once,” Borika said. “Back when I was Irizi.” Her lips quirked in a brief smile. “Obviously kept tabs on me afterward or he couldn’t have sent you here.” She hesitated, then lowered her charric. “Why did you come?”

“Two reasons,” Thalias said. “First, I told you that Che’ri’s been having trouble stemming from some interactions with an alien who seems—”

“An alien?” Borika interrupted. “What alien? Where?”

“She’s called the Magys,” Thalias said. “We don’t know what they call their people or world. She seems able to give an extra boost to Che’ri’s Third Sight so that she can see farther into the future than any sky-walker I’ve ever heard of. I thought that, as one of the program’s researchers, you might have some insight as to what’s going on.”

“Sounds interesting,” Borika said thoughtfully. “I wish you’d brought her with you.”

“I wanted to, but our first officer wouldn’t let her leave the ship,” Thalias said. “But I can tell you most of it.”

“I guess that’ll have to do.” Borika waved her to one of the couches around the firepit. “Sit down.”

She waited until Thalias was seated, then took the couch across from her, returning the charric to a holster hidden under her jacket. “Go ahead.”

“It mostly started with nightmares,” Thalias said.

She launched into the story, giving Borika as many details as she could about the changes that had taken place since the Magys was brought aboard the Springhawk. As she talked she looked around the room, studying the furniture and layout, listening to the whinnying of the packbulls as they wandered around the fields that surrounded the house. She’d heard that sound before, she knew, but she couldn’t figure out where or when.

“Are you remembering the house?” Borika asked.

Thalias broke off, startled. “Sorry,” she apologized. “I guess my attention was wandering.”

“So I saw,” Borika said, gazing thoughtfully at her. “I asked if you remembered being in this house.”

“No, not really,” Thalias said. “Why, did I do my training here?”

“I don’t know,” Borika said. “Those records are sealed away very deeply. I’m actually rather surprised Thrass was able to dig them out.” She waved her arm, her gesture taking in the entire room. “But if you were here, you probably spent time in this place. It’s been used as an auxiliary to the Shadehouse for decades. Under previous owners, obviously.”

“Yes,” Thalias murmured, feeling a pang of a loss she hadn’t really known that she had. “What is it about the training that takes away all your memories?”

Borika’s throat tightened. “It’s not the training. You were telling me about the Paccosh?”

Thalias nodded and went back to Che’ri’s story. “What do you think?” she asked when she was finished.

“I don’t know,” Borika conceded. “Some sky-walkers are able to see farther into the future than others, which naturally makes them the most highly valued. Which ship did you say you were on?”

“I didn’t,” Thalias said. “But it’s the Springhawk.”

“Ah,” Borika said. “Oh,” she said with more feeling, looking sharply at Thalias as the name suddenly seemed to register. “Yes, I’ve heard of you. You’ve been through the grinding mill, all right.”

“It’s not that bad,” Thalias said, wincing a little at the note of defensiveness in her voice. “And as for your high-valued sky-walkers, I’d match Che’ri up against any of them.”

“I wasn’t making any judgments,” Borika protested mildly. “I’m just telling you what the fancy folks in the Hierarchy Defense Council think. You and I both know that how far ahead you can see is only part of navigating a ship through the Chaos.”

“Absolutely,” Thalias growled, still only partially mollified. Some of the ships she’d served on, and some of the officers aboard those ships, were hardly top of the crop, either. “What did you mean, it wasn’t part of the training?”