Car'das frowned. "What does he have to do with anything?"
"He and vessels of the Fifth Ruling Family are on their way here," Thrass said grimly. "I had a brief communication with him just before leaving Crustai. I suspect he intends to place Thrawn under arrest."
Car'das felt his throat tighten. "Does Thrawn know about this?"
"No."
"We need to tell him, and fast," Car'das said grimly. "Do you know where he is?"
"I believe he and Admiral Ar'alani have gone across to inspect Outbound Flight."
"Then let's get over there," Car'das said. "Come on-my shuttle's in one of the portside docking stations."
With a creak of not-quite-aligned metal fittings, the turbolift door reluctantly slid open. "Looks like we've got air seals again," Uliar commented, peering upward into the car. The ceiling was mostly intact, but one of the scams had cracked open and at its edge he could see the faint rainbow discoloration of a massive radiation surge. Had one or more of the reactors gone up? Unlikely. Even down here in the core they should have heard something that catastrophic.
"That shaft's going to be a mess, though," Keely muttered, stepping tentatively up beside Uliar. "And the Dreadnaughts themselves will be worse. This could take awhile."
"Then let's not waste any more time talking about it," Uliar said. He started to step into the car
"No," Jinzler said, reaching out to touch his arm. She, too, was gazing at the car ceiling, a look of concentration on her face. "I'm going alone."
"Alone's never a good idea in this kind of situation," Keely warned.
"Alone for a Jedi is sometimes the only way," she said. Her eyes came back to him, and some of the concentration faded.
"Don't worry. As soon as I've found someplace safe, I'll come back and get you."
"You sure you don't want at least a little company?" Uliar asked, eyeing her closely. He didn't really want to go poking around up there, not with all the destruction and bodies and all. But he didn't like the idea of letting this Jedi out of his sight, either.
"Very sure," Jinzler said. "Go back and wait until I come for you."
"Whatever you say," Keely said, plucking at Uliar's sleeve. "Come on, Chas."
"Okay," Uliar said reluctantly, stepping back as Jinzler got into the car. "Make it fast."
"I'll try," Jinzler said, giving him a reassuring smile.
She was still smiling as the door creaked shut between them.
They found Thrawn and Ar'alani on the bridge of the main command ship, standing amid a bustling crowd of Chiss crewers methodically checking out the still-active control consoles. There were a lot of bodies there, too, lying haphazardly all over the deck. For once, Car'das hardly even noticed. "Ah-my brother," Thrawn said as Thrass and Car'das made their way through the maze of consoles. "Are the Geroons being properly cared for?"
"Never mind the Geroons," Car'das put in before Thrass could answer. "Aristocra Chaf'orm'bintrano's on his way with a fleet of Fifth Family ships."
"On whose authority do they fly?" Ar'alani demanded.
"The Aristocra's own, I presume," Thrawn said, his eyes narrowed in thought. "How soon until they arrive?"
"They could be here at any time," Thrass said. "I suspect he's coming to raise charges against you."
"In that case he would hardly need a fleet of vessels," Thrawn pointed out. "No, the Aristocra has something far more profitable in mind."
"Outbound Flight?" Car'das asked.
"Actually, I expect he's hoping to take possession of the remains of the Vagaari fleet," Thrawn said. "But you're right. Once he sees Outbound Flight that priority will definitely change."
"He can't do that," Thrass protested. He looked at Ar'alani. "Can he?"
"Not legally," Ar'alani said, her voice tight. "But as a practical matter, if he's brought enough vessels, there'll be no way for us to stop him."
"The Council of Families-" Thrass began.
"— will certainly object," Ar'alani cut in. "But the procedure will be long and complex."
"And in the meantime the Fifth Family will be coaxing the secrets from their new prize," Thrawn said.
Thrass hissed, a startlingly reptilian sound. "We can't allow that," he said. "Possession of Outbound Flight by any one Family could destroy the balance of power for decades to come."
Car'das nodded, a hard knot forming in his stomach. The thought of getting their hands on droid technology alone had been enough to lure the Vagaari to their destruction. How much more of an edge would the droids plus the rest of Outbound Flight's technology give Chaf'orm'bintrano's family?
"We'll have to stall him," Ar'alani said. But she didn't sound very confident. "We must keep his people off this vessel until the Defense Fleet units I've summoned can arrive."
"They won't be in time," Thrawn said. "We need to take Outbound Flight to a military base immediately and have it declared Defense Fleet property."
"How long a trip are we talking about?" Car'das asked dubiously. "This thing's taken a lot of damage."
"It will push the systems to their limit," Thrawn conceded. "But we must try. It would be better for Outbound Flight to be destroyed than to let any single family claim it."
There was a flicker of movement at the corner of Car'das's eye. He turned to the canopy.
Just as the last of a dozen large Chiss ships came out of hyperspace. "Too late," he said. "He's here."
Ar'alani muttered a word that had never come up in Car'das's language lessons. "We'll have to make do with the crewers you already have aboard," she said. "Quickly, before-"
She broke off at a twitter from Thrawn's comlink. Thrawn looked out at the ships, then reluctantly pulled the device from his belt. "Commander Mitth'raw'nuruodo."
"Commander, Aristocra Chaf'orm'bintrano of the Fifth Ruling Family is signaling theSpringhawk," a voice said. "He demands your immediate presence aboard theChaf Exalted."
Thrawn's eyes flicked to Ar'alani. "Do not acknowledge his signal," he ordered.
"It was not a request, Commander," the voice warned.
"Do not acknowledge," Thrawn repeated, and clicked off the comlink.
"Thrawn, you can't simply refuse an Aristocra's direct order," Thrass objected.