Chapter 17
The final turbolift door slid open, and twenty meters down the corridor Car'das saw at last the open blast doors of the battleship's bridge.
Twenty meters of corridor lined on both sides with armed, tense-looking battle droids.
Thrawn didn't even hesitate. He strode forward calmly, his two warriors equally sedate as they walked at his sides. Swallowing hard, not wanting to walk that gauntlet but even less willing to cower in the turbolift car all alone, Car'das forced himself to follow.
There were dozens of droids on duty on the bridge, most of them service and monitor units seated or plugged into the various stations in the control pits. Standing in the center of the quiet activity were just two actual beings, waiting together beside the vacant helm chair: a tall Neimoidian in elaborate robes, and a more sedately dressed human male. Again, Thrawn didn't pause, but headed down the walkway toward them. He stopped three meters away, and for a moment seemed to size them up. Then, deliberately, he swiveled to face the human. "Commander Stratis," he said, nodding his head in greeting. "I am Commander Mitth'raw'nuruodo."
"Stratis does not command this vessel," the Neimoidian said stiffly before Stratis could answer. "I am Vicelord Kav of the Trade Federation. Andyou, Commander Mitthrawdo, have committed an act of war."
"Vicelord, please," Stratis said. His voice was calm, but there was a warning edge to it. "Recriminations will serve no useful purpose."
"Do not think you have gained anything with your audacity," Kav continued, ignoring him. "Even now, I could destroy you where you stand."
He gestured, and from behind them came a sudden metallic racket. Car'das spun around, his heart freezing as a pair of droideka destroyer droids rolled into view and came to a halt just inside the bridge blast doors. They unfolded into their tripod stance, and a second later Car'das found himself staring down the barrels of four pairs of high-energy blasters.
"Vicelord, youfool," Stratis bit out urgently. "What do you think-?"
"Calm yourself, Commander," Thrawn soothed him. "We're in no danger."
Carefully, hardly daring to breathe, Car'das turned his head. Stratis's eyes had gone wide, his throat muscles tight as he gripped the Neimoidian's arm. But Thrawn merely stood quietly, his face expressionless as he studied the droidekas. The Chiss warriors had their hands on their weapons, but following their commander's lead hadn't drawn them. "Interesting design," Thrawn went on. "That shimmering sphere-a small force shield?"
"Uh. . yes," Stratis said cautiously. "I assure you, Commander-"
"Thank you for the demonstration, Vicelord," Thrawn interrupted, turning his glowing red eyes back to Kav. "But now you will send them away."
For a long, terrible moment Car'das thought the Neimoidian was going to defy Thrawn's order the way he'd ignored Stratis's rebuke. The Chiss and. Neimoidian locked eyes, and for half a dozen heartbeats the bridge was silent.
And then Kav's entire body seemed to wilt, his eyes dropping away from Thrawn's stare as he half lifted a hand toward the droidekas. Looking back over his shoulder, Car'das watched in relief as the destroyers folded up again and rolled their way off the bridge.
"Thank you," Thrawn said. "Now. As I asked you before: please state your intentions and those of your task force."
"A task force that no longer exists," Kav put in, his voice hovering between anger and dejection.
"That loss was your doing," Thrawn countered. "All I wished was a civilized answer." He turned to Car'das. "Is that correct? Civilized? "
"Or justcivil," Car'das told him, feeling his face warming at being suddenly dragged into the middle of the conversation. "Orpolite."
"Civil," Thrawn said, as if testing the word against some unknown set of guidelines. "Yes. All I wished, Commander, was a civil answer."
"Yes, I know," Stratis said, his eyes on Car'das. "May I ask your companion's name and origin?"
"I'm just a visitor," Car'das said quickly. The last thing he wanted was for these people to know his name. "That's all."
"Not quite," Thrawn corrected. "Car'daswas simply a visitor. Now he's my translator." His expression hardened. "And my prisoner."
Car'das felt his mouth drop open, and for the second time in two minutes felt his heart freeze. "I'mwhat? "
"You arrived uninvited in Chiss space," Thrawn reminded him darkly. "Now, less than three months later, an invasion fleet from your people has appeared. Coincidence?"
"I had nothing to do with this," Car'das protested.
"And we're not an invasion fleet," Stratis added.
"Make me believe that," Thrawn said, his voice darkening even further. "Both of you."
Car'das looked at Stratis. Suddenly, in the wink of an eye, this whole side trip had taken on a very bad taste. "Commander?" he entreated.
Stratis's eyes flicked to him, then back to Thrawn, a thoughtful expression suddenly appearing on his face. "Very well," he said, gesturing toward the side of the bridge. "There's an office back there where we'll have more privacy"
Thrawn inclined his head slightly. "Lead the way."
Doriana led them to Kav's command office, his skin prickling with anticipation and the stirrings of fresh hope. An hour ago it had been all over, the mission a failure, Doriana himself among the walking dead. Even if their attackers allowed them to return to the Republic, he knew the payment Darth Sidious would demand for his failure.
But now, suddenly, all that had changed. Maybe.
"Please make yourselves comfortable," Doriana invited, gesturing his guests to seats facing the desk as he circled around the massive carved-wood structure and sat down in Kav's equally elaborate chair. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the vicelord glowering at him, but he had no time now for petty Neimoidian pride. "May I offer you some refreshment?"
"No thank you," Mitth'raw'nuruodo said as he and Car'das sat down. The two Chiss guards, as Doriana had expected, remained standing in the doorway where they could watch everyone in the room as well as keep an eve on what might be happening on the bridge proper.
"All right," Doriana said, focusing his full intellect on the task at hand. This was it. "Let me tell you about a project called Outbound Flight."
He started at the beginning, describing the project's origin and its mission and making sure to emphasize the Dreadnaughts' size and weaponry. "Interesting," Mitth'raw'nuruodo said when he'd finished. "What does this have to do with us?"