“And of course, most civilian visitors and merchants stay close to one of the spaceports,” Thrawn said, nodding. “The activity there and around the government complex disguises the emptiness of the rest of the city.”
“Right,” Ziara said. “Your next question is probably why this is all such a big secret.”
“Not at all,” Thrawn assured her. “I understand the strategic advantages of maneuvering a potential enemy into wasting a massive amount of force on what’s essentially an empty shell.” He looked her squarely in the eye. “My question is why you’ve told me all this. Surely I’m not senior enough for that kind of classified information. Especially not after today.”
“I told you because you thrive on information,” Ziara said. Her anger-driven defiance was starting to fade, leaving a bit of discomfort behind. The law was clear: Officers of Thrawn’s current rank weren’t supposed to know any of this. “The more you know about a situation, the better you are at coming up with the strategy and tactics necessary to handle it. Anyway, you’ll be called in for the top-level briefing soon enough.” She felt her lips pucker. “When that happens, try to act surprised.”
“I will,” he promised. “Speaking of surprises, does your family know you’re bringing a guest?”
Ziara shook her head. “No, but it won’t be a problem.”
Thrawn raised his eyebrows slightly. “You assume.”
“Yes,” Ziara conceded. “I assume.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The law was clear.
The Vigilant had been attacked by forces of the Lioaoin Regime. The attackers had identified themselves as such, removing any question as to whether they might be pirates or privateers or some other unofficial and unauthorized group. The Defense Hierarchy Council had certain required responses to such a situation, as did the Aristocra and the Syndicure. The law was clear.
Which wasn’t to say that any of those groups was at all enthusiastic about carrying out their duties.
“This,” Second Officer Kharill said, “is madness.”
Samakro gazed out the viewport at the roiling hyperspace sky. Personally, he couldn’t agree more with his subordinate’s assessment.
But Kharill was his subordinate, and Samakro was the Springhawk’s first officer, and part of his duty was to quash talk like that aboard his ship. “The ancient philosophers would agree with you,” he said. “On the other hand, most of those same philosophers would say that all war is madness. Take that to its logical extreme, and we’re all out of a job.”
“Maybe,” Kharill said. “I can’t say I’d be opposed to a few years of peace.”
“That might depend on the underlying cause of that peace,” Thrawn said from behind them. “Good morning, gentlemen.”
“Good morning, Senior Captain,” Samakro said, hastily standing up from the command chair and turning as Thrawn stepped through the hatchway onto the bridge.
To his mild surprise, Thrawn waved him back down. “I’m not taking over your watch, Mid Captain,” he said. “I only stopped by to check on our progress.”
“We’re on schedule, sir,” Samakro said, looking over at the navigator’s station. Che’ri was sitting upright in her seat, showing none of the subtle signs of sky-walker fatigue that would require a return to space-normal and a rest period.
In contrast Thalias, holding watch behind the girl, was sagging where she stood, apparently right on the edge of falling asleep.
But then, she’d been with Thrawn on the Vak homeworld of Primea, a witness to everything that happened there. That had put her under the spotlight for the same wearying round of Council and Syndicure hearings and interrogations that Thrawn and Ar’alani had endured. Under the circumstances, Samakro was mildly surprised the young woman was on her feet at all.
“Excellent,” Thrawn said. Out of the corner of his eye, Samakro saw the other look at Che’ri, make his own visual assessment of her condition, and come to the same conclusion. “You realize, of course, that peace has several different flavors.”
“Sir?” Samakro asked, frowning.
“I was returning to the topic raised by Senior Commander Kharill,” Thrawn said. “If the Ascendancy was conquered and our cities left in ruins, that would be peace of a sort.”
“That wasn’t what I was suggesting, sir,” Kharill said stiffly.
“I hardly expected that it was,” Thrawn assured him. “But that would be a conqueror’s concept of peace. A different conqueror might prefer the Chiss to be under his unbreakable control, to obey his orders without question. For him, that would be a version of peace.”
“I meant the kind of peace where no one is shooting at anyone else,” Kharill said.
“That’s the kind most civilized people wish for,” Thrawn said. “But how is that to be achieved?”
“I don’t know, Captain,” Kharill said. “I’m not a philosopher.”
For a moment Thrawn eyed him in silence. Then he inclined his head slightly. “Understood. Go check on the plasma sphere supply. I suspect we’ll be using them a great deal in the coming hours.”
“Yes, sir.” With clear relief, Kharill headed across the bridge toward the weapons station.
“He is a good officer, sir,” Samakro said quietly.
“I know,” Thrawn said. “His chief failing is a lack of curiosity.”
“I’d have said no imagination.”
“All beings possess imagination to varying degrees,” Thrawn said. “It can be encouraged and nurtured, or can sometimes shine out in moments of stress. But curiosity is a choice. Some wish to have it. Others don’t. How is the peace he wished for to be achieved?”
“Through the mutual respect and goodwill of all beings, of course,” Samakro said, daring a small ironic smile.
Thrawn smiled back. “And how is that respect to be achieved?”
Samakro’s smile faded. “By proving beyond any doubt that the Ascendancy can and will respond to an attack with overwhelming force.”
“Indeed,” Thrawn said. “And that’s why this mission isn’t madness, but instead is vitally necessary.”
“Yes, sir,” Samakro said. “But I believe Commander Kharill was referring less to the philosophy than to the question of why only our two ships were sent.”
“You don’t believe the Springhawk and Vigilant will prove an even match for the Lioaoin heartworld’s core defenses?”
Samakro hesitated. “To be honest, sir, no.”
“Perhaps a more complete understanding of the situation would help,” Thrawn said. “There are four different groups in play, each with their own interests and agenda. First are the Nikardun, who wanted to capture or destroy Admiral Ar’alani at Primea but didn’t want the Ascendancy’s vengeance to fall on either themselves or the Vak Combine. General Yiv therefore called in a force from the Lioaoin Regime to make the attack and take that risk.”
“I thought that connection hadn’t been established.”
“If not, you need to believe that the Lioaoi traveled all the way to Primea in order to attack a Chiss warship they couldn’t possibly know was coming.”
Samakro grimaced. “Yes, I see your point.”
“So Yiv has achieved the first of his objectives, though at the risk of sacrificing the strength of his Lioaoin allies,” Thrawn said. “The second objective, now that he’s turned our anger toward the Lioaoi, is to gauge the Ascendancy’s will to deliver a reprisal. That will help him revise his plans if necessary as he looks forward to his ultimate war against us.”