One week later…

Mara Jade walked silently through the halls of the Imperial Palace with an air of confidence, though it was all a mask. Inside she was burning with curiosity and even a touch of resentment, but the part of her that was the Emperor's Hand would not allow such petty feelings to show. There was too much pride in her for that. So she floated down the halls like some sort of princess, hell-bent on getting where she was going. Which was the throne room for her first meeting with the Empire's new leader, Grand Admiral Thrawn.

She'd been present on the evening when he was secretly promoted to Grand Admiral, and she remembered him quite well though they had never actually met. In fact, he was completely unaware that she'd ever even been there. Thrawn had shown exceptional intelligence and bearing, but there was a sense she got from him that made her acutely uncomfortable. His blue skin was a shocking contrast to the snow-white uniform of the Grand Admiral, and his red eyes had blazed like fire in the dim room that night. He was the first and only non-human to become a Grand Admiral. Most other non-human species were pushed into slavery for the Empire. Though the knowledge made Mara slightly uncomfortable—especially around their "house guest" and Mr. Do-no-wrong, Luke Skywalker—she also saw the need for such labor and had never questioned it. That was before she'd met Skywalker, in the good old days. Back then everything had made sense and was in good military order. Now everything was an absolute mess.

She reached the throne room's double doors too soon for her liking, but her personal preferences really weren't the issue. Squaring her shoulders and smoothing her wild hair, she stepped into the large room and walked right up to the throne where, to her dislike but not surprise, Thrawn had seated himself. His skin was still blue, and his eyes still blazed with their own personal fire. His uniform remained impeccable, and his manor and presence had not changed one bit. All in all, he was the same being he had been when he was first promoted, except for now he was at the head of the most powerful force in the galaxy.

"Grand Admiral Thrawn," she greeted tersely, and dropped in the typical bow. A smirk touched his thin lips and his red eyes flamed hotter.

"Ah, the Emperor's Hand. It is good to finally meet you." He made a smooth gesture, and a droid slid over to her and offered her a glass of champagne.

"No thank you," she said to both it and the Admiral. Then she focused completely on the issue at hand. "You asked to see me, Admiral?"

"Yes, I did. It has not escaped my notice that you served the Emperor with unquestionable loyalty. Might I expect the same, Miss Jade?"

"Of course, Admiral."

"I am a bit uncertain as to what to call your position, Miss Jade…though I am beginning to think that the 'Hand of Thrawn' has a nice ring to it," he added with a dry smile. Mara managed to chuckle and nodded.

"I suppose that is appropriate," she answered.

"You don't like me, do you, Miss Jade?" he asked suddenly, and Mara hesitated only slightly before nodding. "I see…that's too bad, considering our now intimate bond. As my top servant, I will expect nothing less than the Emperor did. Do you understand?"

"I understand, Admiral."

He smiled again, though it was a ghostly sight on him, and waved her away. She headed for the door, and it was opening when he called to her once more.

"And my Hand, I want you to dispose of Skywalker. I want it done quickly and cleanly, and as soon as possible."

Mara give one sharp nod and left in turmoil, wondering just how she always managed to land herself into these messes when Skywalker was involved.

-

Luke Skywalker had decided a few days ago that he didn't like being cooped up in one place for too long, suite or no suite. He wanted to go outside and run. He wanted to get in his X-wing and fly, he wanted to practice with his lightsaber, and none of those options were available to him. The restlessness of the people in the city below was getting to him, making him itch for some kind of action, but all he could do was meditate or do small workouts within the perimeter of his room. Most of all, he was beginning to long for company. Especially for the company of a particular green-eyed woman with gorgeous, shoulder-length red-gold hair. It was foolishness, he knew, but he couldn't help it. Their bond was growing even when they weren't near each other, and he only had to stretch out in the Force the tiniest bit to sense her. She reminded him strongly of both Han and Leia, but she was entirely different than them both as well. He was still musing about her when her presence appeared in the hallway, deep in turmoil. He stood, eager to see her even if she was in a bad mood. When the door slid open, however, he saw she was in no mood to chat. Instead, she had a blaster pointed at his heart.

"Thrawn has ordered me to kill you," she said flatly, explaining without him having to voice the obvious question. "And, seeing as I am his Hand now, I'm honor-bound to do it."

He lowered his eyes. "I see."

"You're awfully calm. You think I won't do it?" she snarled, and he smiled without humor.

"No, I know you'll do it. I'm just surprised that you would honor his orders without fulfilling your mission to the Emperor," he replied, still gazing at the floor. Mara snorted and cocked the blaster.

"You said yourself that you won't turn."

This time he laughed, though it was hollow and lacked his usual warmth. "I guess I did, didn't I? But you didn't try very hard, either."

"I think you're just stalling."

For the first time that morning, his laughter was genuine, if quiet. Crystal-blue eyes met her emerald ones, sparkling with good-humor.

"I think you're right," he agreed. Then, quietly, "You can't blame a guy for trying."

She tilted her head, then shook it. "No, I guess I can't," she replied, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. The laughter in his eyes became more pronounced, and then regret touched them.

"I'll miss you, Mara Jade."

Damn…we're all the Jedi this touchy-feel-y? She didn't want him to miss her. All she wanted from him was his life. At least, that's all she had wanted when she walked in there. Now, now that he'd spoken those words that seemed to damn her all the way to her core, he'd completely finalized their Force-bond. Now it was different, and the thought of killing him seemed more automatic than an embodiment of her own desires. Luke saw that, and understood it. Her hatred of him might have evaporated, she might not want to kill him anymore, but she still harbored deep feelings of dislike for him. It wasn't much progress, but it was enough. She lowered her blaster.

"I don't have much choice. If I don't kill you, he'll find someone else," she told him, avoiding his gaze. Once again, the wry smile was in place, and he said only, "Somehow, with you at my side, I'm not worried."

She glared, though much of the effect was lost because she was refusing to look at him. "You should be. And I'm not 'at your side,' Skywalker."

"Aren't you?" he asked, mild surprise coloring his voice. He didn't look very surprised, however; just earnest and persuasive. "There's nothing left for you in the Empire."

Looking everywhere but at him, she snapped, "Isn't there? And besides, what would your Rebellion offer me? A cell?"

Luke frowned and took her arms gently. "Of course not, Mara, not if you came with me. They'd accept you simply because I have. And then, once they get to know you, they'll accept you because they like you."

Their bond was overwhelming when he touched her, making all of his earnestness and concern wash over her in a powerful tide. His blue eyes delved deeply into hers, but to her surprise, he made no attempt to even lightly probe her psyche. He was leaving it entirely up to her. Still, being welcomed with open arms by her enemy sounded risky, even if they did trust their Jedi Knight implicitly.

"No, Skywalker, I don't belong there."

"You do."

"You're nuts," she insisted, clenching her teeth. He grinned in spite of himself.

"So you've told me."

"It will never work. I don't belong with those people."

"You belong with me. We're bondmates. Where I go, you'll be, in physical form or not. Face it, Jade, I'm not that easy to get rid of," he said, and lightly tapped her chin with a loosely balled fist, an affectionate gesture. She glared at him, but he could feel her weakening.

"I do not belong with you. Or to you."

"You belong to the Light, like me," he whispered, lowering his forehead to hers. She didn't jerk back, as he'd expected, but she did fidget uncomfortably.

"I can't. I've promised. This is my world, Skywalker. Go back to yours." She slowly pulled back and turned away, her resolve firmed. His eyes followed her, his hands suddenly missing the feel of her arms.

"Come with me," he begged.

"No."

"Mara…"

"Go, before I change my mind," she ordered sharply, back still turned. She pulled his lightsaber out from a pocket on her right pant leg, then gestured to the door. He took the lightsaber and started toward the exit, but just as he reached it, he turned back to her.

"When you realize where you truly belong, you're welcome to find me. My offer will always stand," he told her, then saluted her with the lightsaber and charged down the hall.

Yavin IV: Ten days later…

Luke arrived on Yavin IV with dampened spirits. Leia Organa was there to meet him, sitting just outside the now-abandoned Rebel base, and not too far behind her, barely visible through the planet's dense jungles, was the Millennium Falcon. He hopped out of his "borrowed" Skipray and ran to his sister, engulfing her in a huge hug. She laughed and hugged him back tightly, all of the worries fading from her face at the sight of her unharmed brother.

"Did you take care of your business?" she asked when they pulled back, and Luke's eyes darkened slightly.

"Yeah, kind of. But that's not important. What's important right now is seeing you and Han and Chewie again," he replied, smiling. He looked a little…pained, but Leia decided that her brother would tell her when he was ready and led him back to the Falcon.

"Hiya, Kid! What've you been up to, huh? You're lucky I didn't have to come blast your butt out of trouble, or you'd be getting an earful right now," Han Solo mockingly chided as Luke and Leia appeared. Luke grinned at him and accepted the warm embrace.

"At least you're not frozen in carbonite again," he retorted, and Han lightly cuffed him on the shoulder. With a Wookie roar, Chewbacca appeared from the cockpit of the Falcon and squeezed Luke into a Wookie hug. Laughing despite the pain of his now crushed ribcage, Luke tried to hug all three of them at once.

"It's good to be back," he told them all, smiling brightly, and Leia ruffled his hair.

"It's good to have you back. Strap in, we're gonna get going," she replied, and he obediently strapped himself into a seat in the cockpit. His thoughts were millions of light-years away, however, though these he kept carefully to himself. Though he'd been welcomed back by the people he'd come to think of as family—and in Leia's case, quite literally family—there was something missing. No, someone missing. Though their Force-bond still linked them, not having Mara Jade on the same planet with him was altogether disorientating. It was like the irritation of knowing you'd forgotten something, but being unable to remember what it was you'd forgotten. Like it or not, they were wrapped up together for the rest of their lives.

He stretched out for her, touched her presence, and marveled at how bright it was even from their great distance from her. She ignored the contact, however, and threw up yet another shield. That was something he'd meant to ask her about, but he'd left before he could. He just hoped he'd get another chance, with any luck in the near future, to get her to show him just how it was done.

-

"I can't believe it!" Mara fumed out loud, throwing her hands in the air. "Yeesh!"

The Emperor's Hand had been in plenty of prison cells, even in one she'd designed and tested herself*. But never had she been in a prison because of someone else.

"Damn that Skywalker!" she snapped, pacing in the small cell. She knew every inch of the prison since she'd designed, built, and tested it a few weeks before the Emperor asked her to take out Luke Skywalker. Now she was in prison and it was all his fault. She should have shot him when she had the chance, stupid Jedi that he was. But nooo, she had to let him get to her, didn't she? STUPID! As usual, the guards ignored her and kept their eyes and ears trained for any unusual activities. As if ranting about a Jedi is commonplace! she thought viciously, and glared at them with all the intensity she could muster. And to think, she had actually started to have feelings for him. She must have been insane.

She felt him brush her mind, and slammed a firm barrier up as fast as she could. She was in no mood to have a chat with that Jedi-pig. Besides, she didn't want him to find out she was in captivity and come racing back to rescue her, valiant, stupid man that he was. Stupid, stupid, stupid. That's what he was.

Of course, being angry at him wasn't going to get her out of the cell. But it did give her something to do, since she knew there was no way she was getting out of there. Why had she let him go?

//Mara?//

Damn. He was back.

//What, Skywalker?// she snapped back in irritation. She could feel his relief.

//Are you all right? Did you get in trouble because of me?//

//I'm FINE! Would you leave me alone, please?!//

//Mara…are you sure you're okay? You feel angry and restless.//

//Just get out of my head, would you!//

//Okay, if that's what you want. Take care, Mara. I'm waiting for you.//

She didn't reply, but then she didn't have to. Her answering swell of emotions—smothered quickly, but there nonetheless—was enough to convince him that she would be okay, and that she'd consider his offer.

Why did he have to say things like that? It's not like they knew each other very well. She didn't even like him very much, but then he said things that made her feel…breathless. Things like, 'I'm waiting for you,' or, 'Come with me.' If she were less independent, if she'd been brought up as something other than the Emperor's personal assassin, she probably would have gone with him. Hell, she'd probably be in love with him by now, not that there weren't enough love-sick women pining after him already. But she couldn't do it. And look at where it had gotten her.

She was brought out of her angry tide of self-discovery and self-loathing by the sound of her guards snapping to attention and saying, "Good morning, Admiral." She looked up to see Grand Admiral Thrawn standing in front of her cell.

"Please, gentlemen, if I might have a word alone with Miss Jade," he suggested, and the guards obediently rushed away, out of hearing range. Then he turned those red eyes on her, so different than Skywalker's bright blue gaze that for a moment, she was plagued with regret for not joining him long enough to get away from the alien before her.

"What do you want?" she bit out after a moment. Thrawn regarded her in silence for a moment, then took a seat.

"You promised me loyalty, Jade," he said simply.

"Well, maybe I enjoy a hunt."

"You're lying." He was so calm about it that Mara's heart thumped painfully in her chest. "I could have you killed, and no one would question me. You betrayed the Empire."

Her eyes narrowed, eyes flaming with hatred. "I would never betray the Emp—!"

"Didn't you?" he questioned icily before she could finish. "You sent the Rebellion's hero, their one Jedi Knight and our biggest threat, back to our enemy."

Okay, so that was pretty incriminating…she blew out a sigh and let her shoulders sag in defeat. "Okay, fine. Kill me. I guess it's nothing less than I deserve."

"Do you love him?" Again, that icy calm Thrawn projected threw her threw a loop, and she gazed at him in speechless shock.

"No!" she practically screeched, balling her hands into fists. Thrawn laughed a little at that.

"Well, I suppose that was convincing enough," he chuckled, and met her gaze again. "Fine. I will give you a chance to redeem yourself. I want Skywalker. I want you to bring him back alive, and then I want to watch you kill him. And Mara, you'd better kill him this time, or you'll wish you'd never betrayed me in the first place," he promised, his voice chilling. "Your ship has been prepped. Get to it. And be quick."

The cell door swooshed open, and Mara was free, just like that. She turned and bowed to Thrawn, breathless.

"Yes, of course, Admiral. You have my word," she swore, and he smiled. Then she was running toward the hanger, ready to chase after the one man in her life more confusing than the one she'd just left behind.

-

Dantooine: A week later…

Leia smiled as her brother stifled a yawn and stretched in his uncomfortable chair. Mon Montha was a wonderful woman, but she had a tendency to drone on for long periods of time. She knew Luke was eager for action; in an odd way, he was exactly like Han in that respect. They both were men who liked to go do rather than to stay and plan. That was her department, one she excelled at, though a part of her craved to be out there fighting as well. So far, apart from the rather sketchy details Luke provided, no one knew where to start with the Thrawn business. He hadn't made a move yet, but she had a very bad feeling about this guy. Luke had confided as much to her when she'd asked him as well. Mon Montha was concerned, but baffled. What was the Grand Admiral doing out there, so quietly that not even the smugglers could tell them much? It had to be bad, whatever it was.

She looked at her brother again. He'd pretty much gone back to his old self: warm, joking, funny, and yet something bothered her about him. Something about him wasn't right. If she could put a name on it, she'd say it felt as if he was incomplete. It was absurd, but there was no other way to describe it. Every so often, she'd catch him deep in thought, brow furrowed and blue eyes sparkling as if he were…remembering something. Or someone, if Leia's hunch was right. Han agreed with her about that, he definitely seemed to be preoccupied, and he'd said it was definitely a woman. He knew more about the symptoms than she would, anyway. Still, she wondered what woman had caught her brother's eye.

"Well," Han said, standing as Mon Montha finished her speech about Thrawn, "the thing that bothers me is, he's doing everything real quiet-like, but nothing's happening at all. We aren't gaining territory, the Imperials aren't gaining territory; they're not fighting, we're not fighting. It's like a stalemate. You think this guy even exists? Maybe what that Imperial told Luke was just a lie to get us all riled up."

"No!" Luke said abruptly, scrambling to his feet. He seemed wide-awake now. "No, she wouldn't have lied."

She, huh? Leia thought as the pieces fell together. Not that she was thrilled with the idea that Luke was enraptured by an Imperial.

"Oh yeah? Why not? You are her enemy, after all," Han pointed out. Luke glared at him, and Leia felt his rare flow of anger. She'd felt him associate it with Han a few times in the past, but this was a little stronger than it had been before.

"She just…wouldn't lie. Why would she? She seemed pretty confident in his abilities, from what she told me," he finished lamely, and took his seat once more. Han took a deep breath and shook his head.

"All I'm saying is, if he's there, he sounds more like a ghost than an actual being. I think we should start flexing some power, here, while everything's still quiet."

While the leaders of the Rebellion erupted into arguments and battle plans over Han's statement, Leia grabbed her brother and they both slipped out.

"What's going on, Luke? Who is this she you were talking about?" she demanded, her brown eyes delving into his blue. He smiled at her a little.

"You're getting good at that, and I haven't even begun to train you," he commented wryly.

"Don't you dare change the subject on me," she warned, and this time he laughed.

"I, on the other hand, still need some practice," he joked, and then sobered again. "She was just a woman I met on Coruscant. She was kinda like a prison warden," he explained. Leia nodded, but didn't look entirely satisfied. He only shrugged and smiled again.

"She hates me anyway. Really, Leia, it's nothing. I'm back where I belong now." He smiled at her brightly. "Though if you drag me to one more of these meetings, I'll have to disown you," he added.

"Disown me? I don't think so, buddy," she shot back, and poked him in the chest. He laughed out loud and ruffled her hair.

"I am your older brother," he reminded her.

"How do you know? We never found out who was older. And I certainly act more mature than you," she countered. His blue eyes were sparkling as he nodded.

"True enough, but I have to be your older brother…I'm always having to protect you."

"I've done my fair share of saving your butt, Skywalker," she shot back, and for one moment Luke was tossed into memories of the days he'd spent with Mara. He laughed at the thought of her saying what his sister just had and decided it would never happen.

"I guess you're right. You did save me on Bespin. Though I got you off of Tatooine…and then there was the Death Star fiasco."

"I knew you were too short to be a stormtrooper," she added, eyes alight with happy memories. His laughter rang out again and he nodded.

"I'm surprised no one else said anything," he admitted. "I'm surprised we made it that far at all." He put an arm around her shoulders and drew her back to the conference room. "Come on, Leia…Han's probably waiting."

And didn't that, Leia thought to herself with a smile, have a nice ring to it?

-

It wasn't until that night that Luke tried to reach Mara again, and this time, to his surprise, he reached her on the first try.

//Mara…hi!//

//Skywalker,// she replied grimly.

//I don't like that tone. What's going on, Mara?//

//Watch your back.//

//Mara?//

//And don't trust me. Never trust me.//

He paced, trying to puzzle out her words. //Mara…at least tell me if you're alright.//

//I'm fine. Not that it's any of your business.//

//We have a bond now, Mara. I'll be able to tell if you're lying to me,// he warned with a smirk. He could feel her reluctant amusement.

//Wipe that grin off your face, Skywalker.//

//My name's Luke, remember?// he insisted, his smile widening.

//You're bad for my health,// she informed him matter-of-factly. He started to laugh, unable to help it.

//Yeah, I seem to have that effect on people,// he agreed.

//Must be hell on your love-life,// she teased. He laughed again.

//What love-life?// he countered.

//Now that's sad. The 'hero of the Rebellion' doesn't have a girlfriend?//

//Nope.//

//What, women aren't throwing themselves all over you, Skywalker?//

//It's LUKE—L-U-K-E—and no, they're not. Well…if they are, I wasn't paying much attention.//

//Really? And you're the most eligible bachelor in the galaxy?//

He froze, tabloid holos floating in front of his eyes. He let out a horrified breath. //Please, Mara, tell me you're joking.//

Now it was her turn to laugh, and he could feel her doing just that. She laughed for a long time, then teased, //'Fraid so, Farmboy. It's all over the holonet.//

//Oh man…//

//So…you don't pay attention to drooling women, eh Skywalker?//

//LUKE! And let's just say that a certain red-head with emerald-green eyes spoiled all other women for me,// he teased back, and grinned in satisfaction when she froze.

//SKYWALKER!//

//LUKE!// he sent back, still grinning. //And I so had you.//

//You did not!//

//Oh yes I did,// he replied, sitting down and closing his eyes in order to picture her better; her red-gold hair tumbling about her slender shoulders, her eyes alight with the fire that always told him he was in trouble. But he pictured her with a smirk on her face, amused in spite of herself, and burned that picture into his memory.

//Maybe you did,// she conceded, smiling a little. Then she got serious again. //But, seriously, watch out for me…I'm supposed to hunt you down, capture you, drag you to Thrawn, and kill you in front of him.//

Luke frowned and sent, //Does he have something against me personally?//

//Nah, he's just pissed that I let you go.//

//Thanks for that, by the way.// Gratitude softened his Force-voice. Mara shook her head.

//Don't worry about it, Skywalker.//

//Are you gonna kill me?// he asked, a smile tugging at his lips. Mara grinned and crossed her arms.

//I guess that depends on how nice you are to me,// she retorted. //Now get some sleep, Farmboy. And don't count on me being your friend the next time we meet.//

//I'll be careful. Sleep well, Mara.//

//Yeah, you too.//

Then, once she was alone with her thoughts again, Mara realized what had just happened and shook her head. How does he do that? she fumed. She sure was having a hard time not liking him all of a sudden. Oh, of all the harebrained—Geez, I shouldn't have told him about my mission…oh man, I really am getting soft.

It was almost scary to realize that the fact she was getting soft around a certain Jedi didn't bother her anymore.

I'm in trouble.

-

Luke's dreams were riddled with visions that night, some fleeting, others lingering. Some of them had his sister in them, some of them had Han and Chewie…but mostly, they were about Mara. There were two of her, one with angel wings and one with demon wings. He walked toward Mara the Angel, and she accepted his embrace, but then he felt a sharp pain between his shoulder blades. He reached back in confusion, and his hand contacted something warm and unpleasantly wet. He pulled his hand back only to discover it was covered in blood. He looked up at Mara the Angel. She was smiling, but it wasn't the beautiful smile she wore when she was happy…it was a sadistic smile, a bloodthirsty smile. He tried to pull away, horrified, but found that her grip was too strong. She pined him to a very jagged cross and tied him to it securely, eyes burning with unholy light.

Didn't you know, Skywalker? she mocked, though her lips did not move.

Know what? he asked, trying not to move. Every time he did, a fresh lance of pain tore through him.

Your family is made to be sacrificed. Your father, you…and your sister.

Leia? No, leave Leia alone!

Mara the Angel only smiled cruelly and pushed the cross upright, leaving him high above the ground. She fluttered up to him, leaned in to kiss his lips. It was an icy kiss, one full of malice and sarcastic affection.

And all of the Skywalker sacrifices…are made in vain!

And as his world went black, he caught sight of Mara the Demon. She was weeping, her glorious, fiery hair hiding her face from him. He could feel her grief through their bond, and anguish ripped through him. He didn't want to be the cause of her pain. He should have been able to sense the real her through their bond…so why hadn't he.

Mara! he screamed, and then there was nothingness.

-

He shot awake, sweating and trembling, and there was an ache in his heart that he'd never felt before. He'd have to tread lightly if he wanted to avoid what he'd foreseen in his vision. Would he be able to recognize the truth before it was too late?

Suddenly he felt very, very tired. He didn't think he had the strength to save himself and Mara from the vision he'd just had. He lowered his head in despair. Then he felt a warm, sleepy presence brush the edges of his mind in mild curiosity.

//You call me, Skywalker?// Mara implored, her tiredness easily apparent through their bond. //You better have a good reason, or I might be tempted to drag you to Thrawn after all.//

He smiled into the darkness and shook his head. //Sorry, Mara, just a bad dream. Go back to sleep,// he urged.

//Must have been a doozy, if you got through to me,// she observed, smothering a yawn.

//Or else our bond is growing stronger,// he mused. She was a lot nicer when she was sleeping, he decided, chuckling.

//Hey, I heard that,// she warned, but the effect was ruined when she yawned again. Then, in delayed amazement. //I really AM going soft. Damn. This is all your fault, Skywalker.//

He laughed and replied, //So what else is new?//

Mara smiled. Trust him to renew one of her favorite memories. //Well, are you okay, Skywalker?//

//Yeah, I'm fine now. Good job, Dr. Mara.//

//Ha. Just remember: I don't do housecalls.//

//You really are nicer when you're sleepy.//

//Yeah, well, I'll make you pay for it when I wake up,// she warned. He laughed. I bet you will, Mara, he thought to himself. To her, he sent, //Go back to sleep, Red.//

//Red, huh? I can live with it, I guess. Sith, I've been called worse. All right, Farmboy. Good night.//

He didn't have anymore trouble sleeping that night.

-

Thrawn gazed at the monitor portraying the location of Mara Jade's ship and considered his options. He had no doubt that she would betray him. That wasn't the issue. Since he was expecting it, he could deal with it. She would be punished, that was for sure. Then he shrugged it off and turned to one of the officers in the room.

"General?"

"Yes, Grand Admiral?" the officer replied, swiftly coming to attention and saluting. Thrawn returned it and clasped his hands behind his back.

"I want to know how long it would take us to get to this planet," he said, and pointed to a planet a holo display of the galaxy. The General regarded it and answered, "Four weeks, Admiral."

Thrawn smiled to himself and nodded.

"Very well, General. Get us there."

"Yes, sir!" he replied, and turned to the deck crew, issuing orders smartly.

I'm just moving my first pawn. Soon the Rebellion will bow before the power of my Queen, he thought, and returned to his personal quarters.