“As has Captain Thrawn,” Thurfian said. “He served under you once, and I’m sure his contributions will be equally welcome this time.”
“I imagine he’ll welcome the chance to visit Urch,” Zistalmu said with a condescending little smile. “I understand their art galleries are the pride of the Urchiv-ki people.”
Ar’alani suppressed a sigh. So they hadn’t missed a bet after all. “I’m sure he will,” she said. “I’ll be honored to have him aboard.”
* * *
—
With a sudden intake of breath, Che’ri’s hands twitched one final time against the controls; and as Thalias looked out the viewport she saw the star-flares disappear into the starry background and the blue-and-white half circle directly ahead.
They’d arrived at Urch.
Thalias scowled at the planet. Big deal.
She stole a look at Thrawn, standing with Ambassador Ilparg behind Ar’alani’s command chair. Thrawn himself was unmoving and calm; Ilparg, in contrast, was opening and closing his hands and rocking slightly back and forth on his heels. Clearly anxious to get to his new diplomatic post, and not very patient about the extra time it had taken the Vigilant to get here.
Thalias stepped behind Che’ri, rubbing gently against the tenseness of the girl’s shoulder muscles and sending a mental glower in the direction of the grouchy ambassador. Che’ri had had to make a small additional curve through the final section of the Chaos leading into the Urch system, and the unexpected detour had made the Vigilant several hours late. In Thalias’s experience that sort of thing happened quite frequently, and neither Ar’alani nor Thrawn had blamed Che’ri in the slightest for the delay. Nor would any other reasonable person.
Ilparg, unfortunately, didn’t fall into that category. He was clearly used to the more well-defined travel parameters within the Ascendancy and apparently had never understood that the term the Chaos wasn’t simply someone’s random idea of a good name.
That made him an idiot. What made him a contemptible fool was that he hadn’t been shy about voicing his opinions and criticisms within Che’ri’s hearing. Last night it had taken Thalias two hours of soothing, a good dinner and a hot bath, and every single one of her limited repertoire of lullabies to get Che’ri to sleep.
“And what exactly is the delay now?” Ilparg grumbled.
“We’re waiting on the Urchiv-ki controller to give us permission to launch your shuttle,” Ar’alani explained.
“Yes, I understand that,” Ilparg said testily. “Wouldn’t it be best if I was actually in the shuttle when that permission comes?”
“Patience, Ambassador,” Thrawn said.
Thalias winced. Of all the soothements Thrawn could have offered, patience was the one least likely to get him anywhere.
“I have all the patience I need, Senior Captain,” Ilparg said acidly, glaring at Thrawn. “What’s needed here is results. Action and results. Since they don’t seem to have noticed us, a second call would seem to be indicated—”
“There,” Thrawn said, pointing at a spot on the aft visual display. “You see it?”
“Yes,” Ar’alani said. “You’re sure it’s Lioaoin?”
Thalias felt her breath catch in her throat. Something was going on out there. She could tell by the expressions on Ar’alani’s and Thrawn’s faces, and by the matching tautness in their tones. Something was going on, and it wasn’t good.
“Not one hundred percent, no,” Thrawn said. “Their ship design has changed since we saw it last. But there are enough similarities that I think it probable.”
“What are you talking about?” Ilparg demanded. “What do the Lioaoi have to do with anything? This is Urch”—he shot a look at Che’ri—“unless our navigator has gotten us lost again.”
Thalias took a deep breath. Enough was enough. “Excuse me, Ambassador—”
“This is Urch Planetary and Space Control,” an alien voice erupted from the bridge speaker, its Taarja mangled almost beyond recognition. “Chiss ship is not permitted to release shuttle. Repeat: Chiss ship will not release shuttle. Ambassador of Chiss not welcome to Urchiv-ki, nor to her planets or space.”
“That’s impossible,” Ilparg sputtered. “A treaty was endorsed—the Syndicure approved it.” He drew himself up to his full height. “Admiral Ar’alani, call him back,” he ordered. “Tell him you wish to speak with a senior member of the Tower Dimension—”
“Quiet,” Ar’alani said, her face turned to the tactical display.
“Kindly do not address me in that—”
“I said quiet,” Ar’alani repeated. She hadn’t raised her voice, but suddenly an icy chill ran down Thalias’s back.
Ilparg clearly felt the threat in her voice, too. He opened his mouth to speak, seemed to think better of it, and fell silent.
“What do you think?” Thrawn asked.
“I count eight ships visible,” Ar’alani said. “The Lioaoin, six probable Urchiv…and that one.”
“The Nikardun frigate,” Thrawn said.
“That’s what I was thinking,” Ar’alani agreed, her voice going a shade darker. “That ridiculously large bridge viewport is a dead giveaway. The question is whether the Urchiv-ki have been completely conquered or if they’re still in the same interdiction phase as the Paccosh.”
“I’d guess the latter,” Thrawn said. “But on a practical level, as long as they’re willing to do General Yiv’s bidding, their precise status is irrelevant.”
“True,” Ar’alani said. “Still, if they’re planning to destroy us, they’re certainly taking their time about it.”
“Destroy us?” Ilparg gasped.
“There’s no real hurry,” Thrawn said, ignoring the ambassador’s outburst. “We’re already too deep in the gravity well for a quick escape, and their net pattern is coming together nicely behind us.”
“Personally, I think they’re going for a mirror payback,” Senior Captain Wutroow put in.
“Interesting thought,” Ar’alani said. “Rather ambitious of them.”
“What’s a mirror payback?” Che’ri whispered, looking up at Thalias.
Thalias shook her head. “I don’t know.”
“It’s a counterthrust by one side that exactly corresponds to an earlier stroke by the other,” Thrawn said, looking over at them. “In this case, Captain Wutroow is suggesting the Nikardun hope to capture the Vigilant in the same way that we captured one of their patrol ships.”