“My apologies for the accommodations,” Thrawn said as he sealed them in. There was no lamp, but carefully concealed slits on all four walls admitted both air and light. “I wasn’t sure how quickly we could get here, or whether we would have to dodge or outwait patrols, so I specified our pickup for the day after tomorrow.”
“That’s all right,” Thalias said, looking around. “It beats being a prisoner on a Nikardun ship.”
“Or floating dead in space.”
Thalias winced. “Definitely beats that. You think that’s what Yiv was planning?”
Thrawn shrugged. “He certainly has an abundance of confidence. That would suggest he’d want to interrogate me before my death. On the other hand, we captured one of his ships, and the Nikardun may have a strict code concerning vengeance. I’d need more information before I could determine that.”
“Erring on the side of caution works for me,” Thalias said. “How did you find this crate, anyway?”
“I didn’t find it, I made it,” Thrawn said. “Rather, Defense Overlord Frangelic and I made it. You’ll recall I asked him to bring a shipping container aboard with us?”
“Ah,” Thalias said, remembering now. “You said we’d be using it on the trip back.”
“And so we are,” Thrawn said. “He and I put it together on our journey to Primea, and once we’d learned the Vaks’ shipping protocols we labeled it for transfer.”
“So you’ve done this sort of thing before?”
Thrawn smiled. “Hardly. But it seemed straightforward enough.”
If it works, Thalias thought. “So where are we being shipped to?”
“We’re just going inside the fence,” Thrawn said. “The ship we’re supposed to be delivered to isn’t here yet, but once it arrives it’ll need to make a fast turnaround. The standard Vak pattern under those conditions is to gather all the cargo containers together near the designated landing area so that the loading can go more quickly.”
“Okay,” Thalias said, frowning. “So we’re going to some alien world?”
“Not at all,” Thrawn assured her. “Once we’re through security, we’ll choose our moment and board one of the sentry fighters lined up just inside the fence. They’re designed for long-range patrols, so there should be plenty of room aboard where we can wait for the admiral.”
“And then, what, we just fly up and meet her?”
“Basically,” Thrawn said. “Though there might be a complication or two along the way.”
“Such as if someone else comes aboard and wants to fly it instead of you?”
“If that happens, we’ll invite them to leave.”
“Whether or not they want to go?”
“Don’t worry, we aren’t going to hurt anyone,” he assured her. “Your restraint in such things speaks well of you.”
“I just don’t like beating up someone on their own world,” Thalias muttered. “Especially given the Ascendancy’s whole non-intervention policy.”
“That was actually what I was thinking about when I referred to your restraint,” Thrawn said. “Regardless, it won’t be a problem. I have a small aerosol of tava mist, more than enough to fill a fighter craft’s cockpit.”
Thalias frowned. “That’s the sleepwalking drug?”
It was Thrawn’s turn to frown. “Who calls it that?”
“People at my old school,” Thalias explained, rolling her eyes at the memory. “A couple of them let off the stuff in class once just to see everyone act like drooling moon-brains. Hours of harmless fun, I guess.”
“The effect hardly lasts for hours,” Thrawn said. “An hour at the very most. But it is harmless.”
“Unless you’re doing something tricky,” Thalias said. “Like, say, flying a sentry fighter?”
“We’ll ease them outside and away from the fighter long before they get that far,” Thrawn promised. “And I have nostril filters for us so that we won’t be affected.”
“Handy,” Thalias said, eyeing him closely. “Do you normally carry that stuff around with you?”
“It’s always worth taking precautions when facing uncertainties,” Thrawn said. “I knew we’d need to steal a ship, so I planned accordingly. Don’t worry, we’ll get through this.”
“Okay,” Thalias said. Personally, she wasn’t feeling all that confident, but she was willing to trust him. “Can I take off this makeup now? This stuff has to weigh half a kilo.”
“It’s closer to a third, actually,” Thrawn corrected. “And no, you’d best let it be. There’s always a chance we’ll be discovered and you’ll need to continue playing your role.”
“Fine,” Thalias said reluctantly. Actually, aside from the weight, she was starting to get used to the contoured hardshell paste. What she hated most about it was the broader idea it represented, and the role of a nervous hostage she had to play while she was wearing it. “So; another day and a half. I don’t suppose you brought a pack of cards.”
“Actually, I did,” Thrawn said. “But I thought we could talk first.”
“About?”
“About why you asked to come aboard the Springhawk.”
A warning bell went off in the back of Thalias’s brain. “I came to take care of Che’ri,” she said cautiously.
“That’s why you were aboard,” Thrawn said. “But it’s not why you asked to come. One of my officers informed me that the Mitth sent you to investigate my performance as the Springhawk’s commander. Is that true?”
Thalias felt her hand squeeze itself into a fist. “I assume that would be Mid Captain Samakro?”
“Does it make a difference where the information came from?”
“It might,” Thalias said. “Did he give a reason for telling you that?”
“Not specifically,” Thrawn said. “I believe he’s concerned about cohesion in the command structure if family matters interfere.”
“That may be what he says,” Thalias said. “But I’m guessing he’s hoping for some of that family interference.”
“To what end?”
“To the end of the Mitth deciding they don’t want you commanding the Springhawk and having the Expansionary Fleet move you somewhere else,” Thalias said. “That would open the way for Samakro to take back command.”