The other's lip twitched. "There are others."

"I see," Thrawn said. "But we'll speak of them later. If you'll come this way, Admiral?"

For the most part, the trip around the side of the asteroid was made in silence. Thrawn occasionally mentioned something technical in the pirate ship's design as they approached, but neither the admiral nor Mitth'ras'safis seemed interested enough to respond with anything more than grunted monosyllabic comments or an occasional question. The admiral's escort, as befit proper warriors, said nothing at all.

Once or twice along the way Car'das noticed Mitth'ras'safis frowning at him and Maris, as if wondering why Thrawn had brought non-Chiss along for the ride. But he never asked for an explanation, and Thrawn never offered one.

The alien bodies had long since been removed from the ship, but there were many other details and deductions that Thrawn was able to point out as the group pa.s.sed down the corridors, everything from the probable physical characteristics of no fewer than three different species of Vagaari slaves all the way to the equipment their masters had probably permitted them to use.

Car'das hadn't heard any of this a.n.a.lysis, and listened in fascination to the commander's monologue. Again, Ar'alani and Mitth'ras'safis absorbed the information in silence.

Until, that is, they reached the treasure room.

"Ah-there you are," Qennto's deep voice boomed from one of the back corners, waving with one hand as he clutched what looked like an ancient decorated battle shield with the other.

"What's this alien doing here?" Ar'alani demanded.

"He's helping catalog the items for me," Thrawn replied. "Some of the systems plundered by the Vagaari are in Republic territory, and he has some knowledge of their origin and value."

"What did he say?" Qennto called, looking at Maris.

She looked questioningly at Thrawn. "In Sy Bisti, if you please," the commander said, switching to that language. "We don't want to leave the admiral and syndic out of the conversation."

"Yes, Commander." She turned back to Qennto and translated Thrawn's last comment.

"Oh, I'm helping catalog, all right," Qennto said, eyeing the newcomers suspiciously. "I'm also picking out the items I'll be taking home with me."

"What items are these?" Ar'alani asked in Cheunh, her glowing eyes narrowing. "Commander?"

"In Sy Bisti, if you please, Admiral," Thrawn reminded her.

"This is not an interspecies conversation circle," Ar'alani countered tartly, ignoring the request. "What exactly have you promised these aliens?"

"They're merchants and traders," Thrawn reminded her, his own voice going a little stiff. "I've offered them some of the items as compensation for their weeks of service."

"What service?" Ar'alani demanded, shifting her glare to Car'das and Maris and then to Qennto. "You've provided them with food and living quarters, taught them Cheunh-and for this they deserve compensation?"

"We're also teaching the commander our language," Maris offered.

"You will not speak to an admiral of the Chiss unless first spoken to,"

Ar'alani told her brusquely.

Maris reddened. "My apologies."

"There's plenty here for both our visitors and the Ascendancy," Thrawn said. "If you'll come this way, there are some details of the engine room I'd like to show you." He took a step toward the door "A moment," Ar'alani said, her eves back on Qennto and the shield he was still defiantly gripping. "Who will decide which items your humans will be permitted to take?"

"My intent was to leave that decision largely to Captain Qennto," Thrawn said. "He's been working on this inventory for some weeks now and has an extensive knowledge of the contents. I can provide you with a copy of the complete listing before you leave."

"A listing of what's in here now?" Ar'alani asked. "Or a listing of what was here before he removed his chosen items?"

"Both lists will be available," Thrawn a.s.sured her, taking another step toward the door. "And my spot checks have shown the lists and descriptions are accurate enough. At any rate, you'll have time on the voyage home to examine both the lists and the treasures themselves."

"Or I could examine them right now," Ar'alani said, gesturing to one of her two warriors. "You-get the listing. I think, Commander, that I'd prefer to take my own inventory."

"As you wish, Admiral," Thrawn said. "Unfortunately, I'll be unable to a.s.sist you in that task. There are administrative matters that require my attention."

"I can make do without your a.s.sistance," Ar'alani said. From the tone of her voice, Car'das had the feeling that she would just as soon not have him looking over her shoulder. "Make sure I have a shuttle with which to return to my ship when I'm finished." Her eyes flicked to Thrawn's brother. "And I think it would be wise if Syndic Mitth'ras'safis remained with me. With the syndic's permission, of course."

"I have no objections," Mitth'ras'safis a.s.sured her. To Car'das's eye, his face looked a bit troubled.

"Then I'll look forward to conversing again with you at your convenience," Thrawn said. Catching Car'das's eye, he nodded toward the door.

They were twenty meters down the corridor before Car'das dared to speak.

"You don't really have any administrative work to deal with, do you?" he asked Thrawn, keeping his voice low. "You just wanted to get away from the admiral for a while."

"A harsh accusation," Thrawn said mildly. "You'll tarnish Ferasi's high opinion of me."

Ferasi's-? Car'das looked behind him, to discover that Maris had indeed followed them out of the treasure room. "Oh. Hi," he said lamely.

"I think you missed the point, Jorj," she said. "Commander Thrawn didn't duck out on the admiral. He maneuvered her into deciding on her own to stay behind."

"What leads you to that conclusion?" Thrawn asked.

"The fact that this is the first I've heard about Rak spending weeks taking inventory of the treasure," she said. "He would certainly have mentioned something like that to me."

"Yet he didn't deny it," Thrawn pointed out.

"Because that part of the conversation was in Cheunh," Car'das said, finally catching on. "Which he doesn't understand."

"Excellent," Thrawn said, nodding. "Both of you."

"So what exactly is going on?" Maris asked.

They rounded a corner, and Thrawn abruptly picked up his pace. "I've had a report of another Vagaari attack, this one still in progress," he said.

"I'm going to take a look."

"How far away is it?" Car'das asked. "I mean, the treasure room's not going to hold their attention that long."

"It's approximately six standard hours away," Thrawn said. "And I fully expect Admiral Ar'alani to deliver a severe reprimand when I return, a.s.suming she delays her departure until then. For now, though, all I need is for her to be distracted long enough for us to slip away."

Car'das's stomach tightened. "You're not just going there to observe, are you?"

"The purpose of the trip is to evaluate the situation," Thrawn said evenly. "But if I judge there's a reasonable chance of eliminating this threat to the Chiss Ascendancy . . ." He left the sentence unfinished, but there was no doubt as to his intentions. He was going to attack.

And from the way he'd pulled Car'das out of the treasure room, it was clear he expected his language tutor to come along for the ride.

Car'das took a deep breath. He'd already been through more s.p.a.ce battles than he liked, and going up against a fully armed Vagaari raiding party was not something he really wanted to do. But maybe there was still a chance of gracefully backing out. "I'm sure you'll do whatever is right,"

he said diplomatically. "Good luck, and-"

"May I go with you?" Maris interrupted him.

Car'das threw her a startled look. Her eyes flicked to his, a hard-edged warning in her expression. "It might be good to have a witness along,"

she continued. "Especially someone who has no connection to any of the Ruling Families."

"I agree," Thrawn said. "That's why I'm taking Car'das."

Car'das winced. So much for a graceful exit. "Commander, I appreciate the offer-"

"Two witnesses would be better," Maris said.

"Actually, Qennto would be a better choice than either Maris or me,"

Car'das tried again. "He's the one-"

"In theory, yes," Thrawn agreed, his eyes on Maris. "But no matter how carefully planned or executed, a battle always entails risks."

"He's the one who really likes this kind of excitement-"

"So does flying with Rak," Maris countered. "I'm willing to take my chances."

"I could go get him out of the treasure room-"

"I'm not sure I am," Thrawn countered in the same tone. "Should you be injured or killed, I wouldn't want to be the one to bring that news to your captain."

"If we're on the bridge together, you won't have to," Maris pointed out.

"If I die, you probably will, too, and someone else would get stuck with that job." She jerked a thumb at Car'das. "It sounds like Jorj would rather stay behind anyway. He can do it."

"Forget it," Car'das said firmly, his mind suddenly made up for him. He'd seen Thrawn's combat abilities, and he'd seen Qennto's temper, and he knew which one sounded safer. "If Maris goes, we both go."

"I'm honored by your trust," Thrawn said as they reached the shuttle bay "Come then. May warriors' fortune smile on our efforts."

11.

One minute to breakout," the helmsman called.

"Acknowledged," Thrawn replied. "Warriors, stand ready."

Standing behind the commander's chair, Car'das stole a look at Maris. Her face looked a little pale above the wide collar of her vac suit, but her eyes were clear and her jaw firmly set. Probably looking forward to Thrawn being all n.o.ble and honorable, he thought sourly. Waiting for him to bolster her already stratospheric opinion of him. Women.

So what in blazes was he doing here?

"If the reports are accurate, we'll arrive in a safe area a short way beyond the outer edge of the battle zone," Thrawn said, his eyes dropping to the helmets gripped in their hands. "Still, it would be wise for you to have your helmets already in place."

"We can get them on fast enough if we need to," Maris a.s.sured him.

Thrawn hesitated, then nodded. "Very well. Then stand ready."

He swiveled back to face forward. Car'das watched the countdown timer, his mouth feeling uncomfortably dry; and as it hit zero the starlines appeared out of the hypers.p.a.ce sky and collapsed into stars.

And through the canopy he found himself staring at the most horrific sight he'd ever witnessed.

It wasn't the simple pirate attack he'd expected, with three or four Vagaari marauders preying on a freighter or starliner. Stretched out before them, writhing against the backdrop of a cloud-flecked blue-green world, were at least two hundred ships of various sizes locked in battle, linked together in twos or threes or groups by savage exchanges of laser-and missile fire. In the distance, on the far side of the planet, he could see the glittering points of a hundred more ships, silently waiting their turn.

And through the swirling combat drifted the debris and bodies and dead hulks of perhaps twenty more ships.

This wasn't a pirate attack. This was a war.

"Interesting," Thrawn murmured. "I seem to have miscalculated."

"No kidding," Car'das said, the words coming out like an amphibian's croak. He wanted to tear his eyes away from the carnage but found himself unable to do so. "Let's get out of here before someone sees us."

"No, you misunderstand," Thrawn said. "I knew the battle would be of this scale. What I hadn't realized was the Vagaari's true nature." He pointed through the canopy at the distant cl.u.s.ter of ships. "You see those other vessels?"

"The ones waiting their turn to fight?"

"They're not here to fight," Thrawn corrected him. "Those are the civilians."

"Civilians?" Car'das peered out at the distant points of light. "How can you tell?"

"By the way they're grouped in defensive posture, with true war vessels set in screening positions around them," Thrawn said. "The error I spoke of was that the Vagaari aren't simply a strong, well-organized pirate force. They're a completely nomadic species."

"Is that a problem?" Maris asked. She was gazing calmly at the panorama, Car'das noted with a touch of resentment, almost as calmly as she'd faced the piles of bodies aboard the Vagaari treasure ship.

"Very much so," Thrawn told her, his voice grim. "Because it implies in turn that all their construction, support, and maintenance facilities are completely mobile."

"So?" Car'das asked.

"So it will do us no good to capture one of the attackers and use its navigational system to locate their homeworld," Thrawn said patiently.

"There is no homeworld." He gestured out at the battle. "Unless we can destroy all of their war vessels at once, they will simply melt away into the vastness of interstellar s.p.a.ce and regroup."

Car'das looked at Maris, feeling a fresh wave of tension ripple through him. A bare handful of ships at his disposal, and he was talking about destroying an entire alien war machine? "Uh, Commander . . ."

"Calm yourself, Car'das," Thrawn said soothingly. "I don't propose to destroy them here and now. Interesting." He pointed out into the melee.

"Those two damaged defenders, the ones trying to escape. You see them?"