"So youdo have free run of the base."
Car'das turned. Thrass was coming up behind him, his expression giving no hint as to what was going on behind those glowing eyes. "Syndic Mittlfras'safis," Car'das greeted him, fighting to get his brain online again. "Forgive my surprise; I assumed you'd be with your brother and the admiral."
Thrass inclined his head. "Come with me, please." He turned and strode off down the corridor. With his pulse pounding uncomfortably in his throat, Car'das followed.
Thrass led the way to the upper level of the base, where Thrawn and the senior officers had their quarters. They passed a few warriors along the way, none of whom gave either the syndic or the human so much as a curious glance, and finally arrived at a door marked with Cheunh symbols that Car'das couldn't quite decipher. "In here," Thrass said, opening the door and gesturing inside. Bracing himself, Car'das stepped past him into the room.
He found himself in a small conference room with half a dozen computer-equipped chairs arranged in a circle around a central hologrammic display. Seated on the far side of the circle, resplendent in her white uniform, was Admiral Ar'alani. "Be seated, Car'das," she said in Cheunh as Thrass stepped into the room behind him.
"Thank you, Admiral," Car'das said in the same language as he took the seat directly across from her. "Welcome back." She nodded acknowledgment, studying him thoughtfully as Thrass sat down in the chair to her right. "Your proficiency in Cheunh has improved," she commented. "My compliments."
"Thank you," Car'das said again. "It's a beautiful language to listen to. I only regret that I'll never speak it as well as a Chiss."
"No, you won't," Ar'alani agreed. "I understand you were with Commander Mitth'raw'nuruodo on this latest military venture. Tell us what happened."
Car'das glanced at Thrass, back at Ar'alani. "Forgive my impertinence, but shouldn't you ask Commander Mitth'raw'nuruodo about this instead of me?"
"We will," Ar'alani assured him darkly "Right now, we're askingyou. Tell us about this latest act of aggression."
Car'das took a deep breath. "First of all, it wasn't really an act of aggression," he said, picking his words carefully "It was an expedition to investigate unknown warships that had been reported in the area."
"Vessels that wouldn't have been reported at all if Mitth'raw'nuruodo wasn't already inclined to premature military action," Ar'alani pointed out.
Beside her, Thrass stirred in his seat. "The Expansionary Fleet's charter does require observation and exploration in the regions around the Chiss Ascendancy," he said.
"Observation and exploration," Ar'alani countered. "Not unprovoked military action." She lifted her eyebrows. "Or do you deny military action was taken and Chiss casualties sustained?"
Car'das frowned. Thrawn hadn't mentioned anything about casualties. "I was unaware that any Chiss warriors had been lost."
"TheWhirlwind did not return from the battle," Ar'alani said.
"Oh," Car'das said, breathing a little easier. Of course; the missing cruiser was still at the battle scene, keeping theDarkvenge pinned down with the Vagaari gray projector. But he obviously couldn't tell Ar'alani that. "I still maintain that Commander Mitth'raw'nuruodo fought only in self-defense."
"Did the unknown enemy fire first?"
"The firing of weapons isn't always the first act of aggression," Car'das hedged, once again feeling as if he were walking a narrow board over a pit of gundarks. "The Trade Federation battleships launched a massive force of droid starfighters. I've read reports of battles in which these weapons were used, and if Commander Mitth'raw'nuruodo hadn't acted to neutralize them, his force would quickly have been overwhelmed."
"Perhaps," Ar'alani said. "We'll know better once you've shown us around the battle zone."
Car'das felt his mouth go suddenly dry "Around the. .?"
"You object?" Ar'alani demanded.
"Well, for starters, I don't even know where it is," Car'das said, stalling for time as he thought furiously. If Ar'alani found theDarkvenge sitting out there
"The location isn't a problem," Ar'alani assured him, holding up a slender cylinder tapered at both ends. "I have the last two months' worth of theSpringhawk 's navigational data."
Car'das fought back a grimace. Terrific. "All right," he said. "But shouldn't we check first with Commander Mitth'raw'nuruodo?"
"We're going now precisely because Idon't want Commander Mitth'raw'nuruodo to know about it," Ar'alani said. "I've sent him on a security sweep of the nearby systems, which should give us time to examine the battle zone and return." Her eyes glittered. "And onlythen will we ask for his version of the battle."
"Preparing for first target," C'baoth said, his deep voice sounding strained as it resonated from the low ceiling of the weapons blister. "Firing now" His hands moved in an almost dream-like way over the controls, and there was a flicker of indicator lights as one of Dreadnaught-1's sets of turbolasers delivered a massive broadside blast.
Standing near the blister's doorway, Obi-Wan stretched out to the Force. On the other side of the Dreadnaught, he could sense Lorana Jinzler also firing her turbolasers, while all the way on the far side of Outbound Flight on Dreadnaught-4 Ma'Ning and the two Duros Jedi did the same.
"Whoa," Anakin muttered at his side. "That's. . intense."
"Yes," Obi-Wan agreed, eyeing C'baoth closely. This was the Jedi Master's third meld today, and the strain of the procedure had to be getting to him. But if it was, Obi-Wan couldn't detect it in the other's face or sense.
He'd always assumed that at least part of C'baoth's unshakable confidence in himself was either an act or else a vast overestimation of his actual abilities. Now, for the first time, he began to wonder if the man might actually be as strong in the Force as he claimed.
"Spotter controclass="underline" all test-one volleys on target," a voice reported from the comm panel.
"Pretty good," Anakin muttered.
"Verygood, you mean," Obi-Wan said. "Can you sense any of Master C'baoth's commands, or just the presence of the meld itself?"
"I don't know," Anakin said, and Obi-Wan could sense the boy tightening his concentration.