Thrawn Ascendancy Book 3: Lesser Evil

Extricating Thrawn from the Patriels was a relatively easy operation. After that came farewells to Senior Aide Lappincyk and Patriarch Lamiov, the latter accompanied by one final reiteration of Thrawn’s gratitude for the honor he’d been granted.

And then, there was nothing left but the long walk down the quiet mansion corridors and out the door toward the landing field where their shuttle was waiting.

They could have taken a car, Thrass knew—he’d seen several vehicles parked near their exit. But Thrawn seemed distant, even troubled, and Thrass suspected this would be the last time they would have for a private conversation for a while.

“So,” he said as they walked down the wide flagstone path through the cool dusk air. “Mitth’raw’nuruodo. Has a nice ring to it.”

“Yes,” Thrawn murmured. “Though it’s going to take some getting used to.”

Thrass looked sideways at him. “You seem concerned,” he said. “Are you worried about the name?”

“No, not at all,” Thrawn said, frowning at him. “Why would I be concerned about such a tremendous honor?”

“So you do recognize there was honor involved,” Thrass said. “I wasn’t sure you would. Are you worried about the item?”

“Even less worried than I am about my new name,” Thrawn said. “The fact that I’ve never heard even rumors about it suggests that the UAG security wall is extremely solid. The fact that it’s under the control of the Stybla, the only family who’ve ever had the wisdom and self-confidence to voluntarily relinquish power, offers the confidence that it won’t be misused. Why, are you worried?”

“Not really, and for the same reasons,” Thrass said. “So why the look of a man planning a major battle campaign?”

Thrawn gave a little snort. “How would you even know what that expression looks like?”

“Don’t be snide,” Thrass reproved with mock annoyance. “We have battles in the Syndicure, too, you know. We just use speeches and favors instead of lasers and breacher missiles.”

“And theatrics.”

“Especially theatrics,” Thrass agreed. “So if it’s not the name or the item, then what is bothering you?”

Thrawn hesitated. “I’m confused, Thrass. During our final confrontation with Captain Roscu—and I recognize the primary purpose was to gain tactical leverage—”

“Wait a second,” Thrass interrupted. “Are you talking about me calling you brother?”

Thrawn actually winced. “Yes,” he said. “I know that as a cousin you can create your own personal family relationships. But for a cousin to name a Trial-born as brother … of course, if it was only for that tactical advantage I fully understand.”

“It’s all right,” Thrass soothed. If he hadn’t recognized the friendship link between them, he mused, at least he’d been ahead of the curve on the brotherhood aspect. “We were already kin and friends. If I want to name you as a brother, I can do that.”

“I know,” Thrawn said, still looking pained. “It’s just …”

Mentally, Thrass shook his head. The unspoken rules of family etiquette. “Would it be easier to think of me as a brother if I was only a ranking distant instead of a cousin?”

“Perhaps,” Thrawn said, frowning. “But you are a cousin.”

Thrass hesitated. He’d never told anyone else this. But then, it wasn’t exactly a secret. “Tell you what,” he proposed. “Let’s trade secrets.”

“What kind?”

“The kind we’ve never shared,” Thrass said. “The kind that brothers do tell each other.” He held up a hand, palm outward, before Thrawn could object. “I’ll start. While I’m listed in the family ranks as a cousin, I’m technically—sort of—just a ranking distant.”

“Really,” Thrawn said, frowning. “How exactly did you pull that one off?”

“I didn’t.” Thrass took a deep breath. “Here’s the story. My parents were from a very minor family—I don’t even remember which one. Just before I was born, my father happened to be at the right place and time to thwart an assassination attempt on Patriarch Thooraki. The Patriarch was saved, but my father was killed.”

“Your father must have been a highly honorable man to make such a sacrifice,” Thrawn murmured.

“Yes, he was,” Thrass agreed. “Even more impressive is that the Patriarch was traveling incognito and my father had no idea whose life he’d saved. He simply saw a desperate need and stepped in.”

“I trust the Patriarch was grateful?”

“Very much so,” Thrass said. “He invited my mother—who was pregnant with me at the time—to the Csilla homestead and offered to rematch her into the Mitth as a ranking distant, the highest position he could confer on a commoner.”

“Honor given for honor received,” Thrawn said. “I would expect nothing less from him. How then are you a cousin?”

“That’s where it gets tricky,” Thrass said. “You know how the bloodlines work, with the offspring of ranking distants being born as cousins. Well, I was born just a week after my father’s death, so under the rules I would also have been a ranking distant like my mother. But.”