Command bridge of the Chaf Exalted – the Flaggship of The Fifth House of Aristocra Chaf'orm'bintrano

Commander Mitth'raw'nuruodo and everyone else present noticed that Commander Stratis was not feeling particularly comfortable when he was roughly pushed rather than led into the cruiser's extremely prestigious command room by the two yellow-clad Chiss guards. Just below the steel-gray ceiling of the pentagonal room hung a closed chain of smaller pentagons, which adorned the coat of arms of the Fifth Ruling Family. Mitth'raw'nuruodo felt surrounded by these yellow pentagons. Each of their points seemed to point accusingly at him. The other Chiss in the room also wore yellow. It was a cold, hard yellow, from which his eyes recovered by briefly sliding down his own figure. The black in which Commander Mitth'raw'nuruodo was dressed suddenly seemed almost pleasantly warm to its wearer. Behind Mitth'raw'nuruodo stood Admiral Ar'alani, a Chiss woman in a bright white uniform – her black hair combed back tightly in a ponytail. Mitth'raw'nuruodo knew that the outcome of the meeting depended primarily on this woman. He intended to build her every golden bridge she needed, to support her without having to lose credibility and reputation himself.

He was pretty sure that he could also rely on Stratis not to stab him in the back. Even though Stratis's name wasn't Stratis, but no one else than him in the room knew that – especially not the Chiss who was standing in the center of the room. Aristocra Chaf'orm'bintrano was a little older than Mitth'raw'nuruodo and wore a very regal grey and yellow robe.

The two guards grabbed Stratis tighter and led him straight to the Chiss. The latter raised his upper lip in contempt: "So that is your collaborator." It was Mitth'raw'nuruodo's job to translate the conversation for the prisoner who was unfamiliar with the Cheunh language.

"Hardly," Stratis contradicted, trying to put the same dignity and condescension into his voice as the Chiss had before. "I am the ambassador of a vast assembly of star systems that calls itself the Galactic Republic!" he announced. "I came here on a mission of goodwill and exploration"

Mitth'raw'nuruodo translated back into Cheunh. He would not have thought the Human commander capable of such boldness. The yellow-gray Chiss smiled cynically and hissed the answer to the Human at his fellow species member. "You came to bring chaos and war to this region of space. You have brought alien weapons that you intended to use against the Chiss Ascendancy." He waited sullenly until Mitth'raw'nuruodo had finished translating, then added: "But you have failed. Those weapons are now the property of the Fifth Ruling Family. I, Aristocra Chaf'orm'bintrano, hereby take possession."

Everyone in the room became even stiffer and more rigid than they already were. Stratis swallowed after these words, then nodded. The envoy realized that the yellow Chiss was concerned with a potentially dangerous technology. And if a civil war-like conflict were to develop within the Chiss, as he could see here, then that would only be in the interest of his boss, but not yet, while he was here. He wondered whose death was most likely to spark civil war - that of the Yellow-Gray or that of Mitth'raw'nuruodo? The apparently lower-ranking Chiss would certainly be easier to eliminate than the Yellow-Gray, but it somehow didn't feel right.

"I'm sorry, Aristocra Chaf'orm'bintrano, but Outbound Flight is not yours to take possession of," Stratis insisted. "As a duly appointed representative of the Republic that sent the project on its journey, I claim full salvage rights."

"Ridiculous!" snorted Chaf'orm'bintrano. "An aggressor has no rights."

"I deny your claim that either I or Outbound Flight have behaved aggressively toward your people," Stratis countered. "And I demand a full hearing and judgment before any Chiss steps aboard Outbound Flight."

"Do you allow him to presume to decide when our people go on that enemy ship in our territory?" Chaf'orm'bintrano asked Admiral Ar'alani in Cheunh.

"That is merely his point of view, and if he insists on a full hearing and a balanced judgment, it is only in accordance with Chiss law and custom."

As the two argued, Stratis glanced sideways at Mitth'raw'nuruodo and caught a microscopic twitch of recognition at the corners of the Chiss' mouth. He had no idea what exactly Commander Mitth'raw'nuruodo hoped to achieve from this argument, but he was already looking forward to find out.

He felt his attention waning due to the argument in a foreign language and looked out the window where the six-winged dreadnought of the Extragalactic Flight Project...

The white colossus suddenly jerked and vanished in a halo of light. A mischievous smile spread across his face. So this was what Mitth'raw'nuruodo had planned! Such a dramatic diversion would certainly please his boss! The only thing that Commander Stratis disliked about this ingenious inclusion of himself and his ambitions was the fact that he was not the one who had devised it. But at least now he could leave the role of the ignorant extra. Better still - he could act, free from the knowledge of what the two Chiss had said in their native language without it being translated for him.

Commander Stratis cleared his throat. "Excuse me? I believe the discussion is over." His anticipation grew as everyone present gradually turned to him, then he pointed to the transparent dome of the command room: "Your prize is gone."

Stratis' joy was complete when he was allowed to study Chaf'orm'bintrano's duped face. The angry Chiss glared first at Mitth'raw'nuruodo, then at him: "The hearing will be adjourned and continued in the conference room."

Stratis felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. The conference room would be smaller. There would be fewer people there. And then inhibitions would fall away, which he was not allowed to forget in this situation. The two yellow guards grabbed him again and led him out of the command room. Thrawn and the white-clad woman followed at a respectful distance. When they entered the much smaller conference room, he saw Jorj Car'das standing there in a dripping pose, waiting. The Aristocra went to a chair behind a desk, but seemed too upset to want to sit down.

"You will pay for this!" Chaf'orm'bintrano gritted. "You hear me? You will pay!"

Stratis winced. The Chiss he had met and seen so far were not particularly keen on showing too many emotions. If Chaf'orm'bintrano was now so agitated, it was either to genuinely intimidate him, or, if he lost control, to become an unpredictable factor. It didn't calm him down that the Chiss's gaze slid from him to Car'das and finally settled on Mitth'raw'nuruodo. "And I will accuse you of high treason!"

The white-clad woman intervened. "I don't think such a charge will hold, Aristocra."

Stratis thought he saw a mischievous delight in her expression that Chaf'orm'bintrano had lost the rich booty. But he was also aware that this delight would not necessarily change his status as a prisoner. And then there was the fact that since they were taken to the conference room, the conversation had been conducted exclusively in Cheunh, which he did not understand.

"You think the charge will hold?" Chaf'orm'bintrano hissed, lurking.

The white-clad woman tilted her head back slightly as she answered. "No, I don't", she said coolly. "Car'das has already stated that Syndic Mitth'ras'safis and the Human Lorana Jinzler were the perpetrators."

Chaf'orm'bintrano's red eyes fixed on Car'das. "With his assistance and advice!"

The Chiss put one arm on her hip. "Advice alone is only lesser treason, Aristocra. And as a non-Chiss, he can't be charged with any level of treason anyway. And as for Commander Stratis, he clearly has nothing to do with it."

"What are they going on about now?" Commander Stratis whispered to Car'das, who, unlike him, spoke the Chiss language. "The Aristocra wants to roast us over a low fire," Car'das explained quietly. "The Admiral is suggesting he needs to rethink his charges."

"Ah." Chaf'orm'bintrano's red eyes bored into Car'das. "Do the prisoners wish to add to the proceedings?" he asked sharply.

"Actually, the prisoners will go free," a new voice chimed in. "They've done nothing with which they can be charged. If you wish to blame someone, blame me."

It was Mitth'raw'nuruodo's voice, and Stratis had the feeling that the lower-ranking Chiss was trying to convince the Aristocra of his cause by suggestion, like a Jedi, his voice sounded so imploringly unwavering, as if he were not accused but a decisive judge, but perhaps that was just his nature.

"I fully intend to," Chaf'orm'bintrano snapped. "After I've dealt with your accomplices."

"They are not my accomplices," Mitth'raw'nuruodo objected, unmoved. "Besides, they are my prisoners, and as such they fall under the full legal authority of the Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet." He raised his eyebrows. "As do I, for that matter."

"Not anymore," the older Chiss replied. "For the crime of unprovoked attack against sentient beings, I hereby revoke your military position."

"Just a moment, Aristocra," Ar'alani interjected, taking a step forward. "You can't revoke his position for a crime for which he has yet to be convicted."

"I suggest you reread the law, Admiral," the Aristocra said sharply. "Commander Mitth'raw'nuruodo has pushed the limits for the last time – and this time we have proof, scattered across the system before us."

"The Vagaari were an imminent threat to the Ascendancy," Mitth'raw'nuruodo defended himself. "And this system is within Chiss space."

"But this time you forgot to let your victims fire first," Chaf'orm'bintrano said triumphantly, "and at us, not at the Extragalactic Flight Project. Don't deny it - I have the recordings from your own vessels."

Then you might also have seen how the Jedi Master leading the Flight Project treated me just two hours ago after I politely asked him to leave our very territory. Stratis' Master was right in that holoprojector conversation: The Jedi are domineering, violent beings! It was right to attack them on their Flight Project and break their power. But Mitth'raw'nuruodo was certain that such incidents would be dismissed by the Aristocra as personal side events. Chaf'orm'bintrano could also claim that he was only concerned about himself and not about the well-being of the Chiss. Or the Vagaari - these very sensitive creatures. Thrawn raised his upper lip in disgust at the thought.

"The Vagaari have made threats against both us and Outbound Flight," the younger Chiss countered. "I claim that such threats, backed up by their obvious firepower, were sufficient provocation for Chiss action."

"You can claim anything you wish," Chaf'orm'bintrano replied condescendingly. "But now the burden of proof is on you, not me." He turned to Admiral Ar'alani. "And until his trial takes place, I can and will revoke both his position and the military protection you so clearly hope to shelter him beneath."

Ar'alani did not answer. Chaf'orm'bintrano basked in his triumph for a while longer, then turned back to Mitth'raw'nuruodo. "And your fellow prisoners will be likewise taken to trial," he announced. "These, along with the other two you have back at Crustai."

Mitth'raw'nuruodo thought about what the grumpy Captain Quennto, under whose leadership his friend Jorj Car'das had come here in the first place, would say. The older Human would probably curse all the Chiss or babble some other naughty thing. Maris Ferasi, the only female member of the three-man smuggler crew, was quite different. She might even enjoy the extended stay on Crustai, as long as there was the prospect that he would come to visit her now and then. Of course he would, but was it right to give her such hopes after he had trampled on everything that was sacred to this beautiful Human woman by attacking the Flight Project?

Chaf'orm'bintrano's expression became meaningful. "Unless, of course, you have enough concern for their well-being to make a bargain."

Mitth'raw'nuruodo glanced at Car'das and Stratis. The two Humans looked at him with eager expressions, and his stomach clenched as he ran through the possibilities that a Chaf'orm'bintrano would consider a good deal. "Such as?"

"You will resign your position, completely and permanently," demanded the Aristocra. "You will likewise renounce your status as Trial-born of the Eighth Family and disappear back into the great mass of Chiss citizenry, never again to rise to a position where you may threaten law or custom."

The man thus challenged remained calm as he spoke. "You ask my entire life for the trade of a few alien prisoners? Are you certain you're willing to live with the consequences?"

Chaf'orm'bintrano snorted. "What consequences?"

"To begin with, the Eighth Family will not permit a Trial-born to simply renounce his affiliation," Mitth'raw'nuruodo began. "They'll insist on a hearing . . . and I don't believe they'll let me go. Not when they see the prize I'll be bringing them."

Chaf'orm'bintrano froze. "You wouldn't dare!" he growled. "If Outbound Flight Project reappears in an Eighth Family stronghold..."

"The Flight Project is gone!" Thrawn cut him off. "And I refer to another technology entirely." He pointed out to the stars. "To be specific, the device I used to bring both Outbound Flight and the Vagaari fleet out of hyperspace."

Chaf'orm'bintrano gave the Commander a startled look. ""The …? Are you saying they didn't come here of their own choosing?"

"The choosing was mine alone," Mitth'raw'nuruodo assured. "I can provide you a demonstration if you'd like."

"This device is not your property," warned Ar'alani, her neutral expression suddenly gone. "It belongs to the Chiss Defense Fleet."

"And if I remain a member of the Expansionary Fleet, I will of course turn it over to you. But if my military position is revoked, I will no longer have any official loyalty except to my adoptive family. At that point ..."

The sentence remained unfinished, and Chaf'orm'bintrano was clearly having trouble following the development of the deal he had proposed. He turned to Ar'alani. "Admiral, you can't permit him to manipulate you this way," he insisted. "This is nothing less than extortion!"

Ar'alani was silent and looked at the Aristocra with a blank expression. The silence hung heavy in the air for a few moments.

"This is nothing less than reality," Thrawn corrected. "And Admiral Ar'alani has nothing to say about it. You're the one threatening to revoke my position. If we hadn't defeated the Vagaari in time, we might not even be standing here having this absurd conversation."

The two Chiss stared into each other's eyes for a while. Then Chaf'orm'bintrano suddenly turned away and strutted stiffly out of the conference room.

༺༻

Two hours later on board the Trade Federation battleship Darkvenge

Vice Lord Siv Kav shot.

There were certain limits even for such a sophisticated and sociable Neimoidian as him. These limits had actually already been exceeded when Commander Stratis had told him straight to his face at the beginning of their journey together that it was obvious that he was not feeling well. It had been a great humiliation for a proud Neimoidian like him to be asked so bluntly about his inner state. And immediately afterwards, the Human had forced him to go to his cabin. In the meantime, he, Stratis, supposedly wanted to take care of his ship so that the Darkvenge could be made ready for takeoff. Siv Kav had already felt that this was just an excuse. In reality, Stratis wanted to talk undisturbed with his master, who was also his, Kav's, secret master. This exclusion from potentially important conversations had happened more than once, while this Chiss named Mitthrawdo was allowed to attend such a holoprojector conversation!

Actually, Kav should have shot Mitthrawdo already, when the latter had urged him to use the battle droids and the starfighters of the Trade Federation against the Vagaari.

Such an important official of the Trade Federation as he was, would never have stooped to wasting his valuable weapons on a people who only roamed around in corners of the galaxy that were absolutely unattractive to the interests of the Trade Federation. And it was none other than the fault of this Mitthrawdo, with whom Stratis had been consorting since their arrival in this remote part of the galaxy. And that despite the fact that they had not even known each other before! Kav had never understood why his secret master had sent this person of all people to stop the Flight Project. From the very beginning, Stratis had acted as if he were the boss on board the Darkvenge, this proud Lucrehalk-class battleship. Not that he had explicitly said so. But it had been enough to constantly talk back to him - in front of the non-droid employees - mostly Neimoidians like him. Above all, Stratis and his Chiss accomplice had sabotaged his, Kav's, plan of attack on the Extragalactic Flight Project! And yet he was a brilliant military strategist and tactician who had never needed the advice of a person like Stratis! And he certainly didn't take instructions from a savage and backwoodsman like the blue Chiss! He scolded himself for having given in to Stratis back then. If, however, they had attacked the Flight Project immediately after leaving hyperspace, instead of Mitthrawdo chatting for hours with its leader C'baoth, the mission would have been accomplished without a damaged colossus wandering around in space - another uncontrollable factor!

Siv Kav thought about when Stratis had ever done what he had ordered him to do.

If he had not been uncertain about how much higher or lower Stratis would be in the master's favor, he would have made short work of the scheming Human long ago.

And even now, when he had ordered Stratis to kill the Chiss, the Human dared to call his absolutely justified and, above all, urgent request ridiculous! And that in front of the man he had hated with a burning passion since their arrival in the Unknown Regions.

This disgrace had to be erased. He owed that not only to the Trade Federation, but also to his stock on his homeland Cato Neimoidia, whose aging sun should look down benevolently on his actions. There had been a good reason why the Viceroy had recommended him, Vice Lord Siv Kav, to the big boss and, after the latter had approved the choice, entrusted him with this important mission. What's more, Siv Kav was one of the few chosen ones, apart from Nute Gunray and Stratis, who knew the actual person who commissioned this mission, even if it was technically the Viceroy who was responsible for the mission. For this reason alone, Vice Lord Siv Kav would complete it according to plan and as best as he could, even if the Human and the Chiss didn't like it! The Master had pressed on Kav that there must be no accomplices who could pass on the fact and circumstances of the destruction of the Extragalactic Flight Project. Even if Siv Kav didn't understand, why exactly the colonization of new areas was suddenly no longer desired. Of course, the Republic had sent the project on its way without much publicity in order to become even more powerful in secret, quietly and unobtrusively. The Master wanted to counteract this. But who knew what treasures and markets the Jedi and their fellow travelers would have discovered on their journey - also to the benefit of the Trade Federation? It would not be the first time that the Trade Federation had stolen worlds from the Republic. And once Mitthrawdo was dead, the Chiss Empire could well become a good market for products from the worlds of the Trade Federation. But the master's orders had been unequivocal - destroy the Flight Project and eliminate all those who knew about it!

Vice Lord Siv Kav was hit by the thought that he too could be such an annoying accomplice when the bullet he had just fired bounced off an invisible wall directly above his desk and shot back - straight into his heart.

༺༻

"May I express my thanks to you, Commander Stratis," said Mitth'raw'nuruodo to his new host on board.

The Human waved his hand dismissively. "What I did is something any upright being would have done, Commander Mitth'raw'nuruodo."

The Chiss looked at the flat, pentagonal hat that had slipped off the Neimoidian's green head as he slumped forward onto the desk, revealing the dead man's bald head. It occurred to him that the number five had brought luck today neither to the Aristocra of the same-numbered house within the Nine Ruling Families, nor to the Neimoidian who always wore this headgear. "But you didn't just choose the right side in the dispute between Vice Lord Kav and me. Without you and your powers of persuasion with the Neimoidian, Car'das and I would never have been able to carry out our battle plan with the battle droids against the Vagaari. I have rarely put as much trust in anyone in such a short time as I have in you."

Stratis looked at the handgun that the dead Vice Lord still held in his now limp hand after his upper body had plummeted onto the desk, then he stared at his own blaster, which he had not used that day. The weapon was still lying on the chair where he had placed it in refusal to the killing intent of the Neimoidian towards Mit'thraw'nuruodo.

"Thank you," said the Human.

"Will the organization you call the Trade Federation give you any trouble over Kav's death?" Mitth'raw'nuruodo wanted to know.

Stratis shook his head. "I think Viceroy Nute Gunray will be glad to be rid of that quarrelsome bantha. The Trade Federation tends to deploy its best people in areas that promise quick and rich profits. This region, however, is not one of them yet."

Thrawn's right eye blinked mischievously. "Actually, we should charge the Trade Federation something for that."

Stratis picked up the blaster from his chair. "And speaking of trust, have you thought of anything specific we can do for you?"

"Nothing at the moment," Mitth'raw'nuruodo said. "We each have our own people to defend and our own policies to contend with. But before I forget, you and your master told me of a people you call the Far Outsiders who are gathering at the edge of the galaxy," he said. "Have you ever seen these beings yourself?"

"As far as I know, there are only reports of them from other worlds, but we have not seen them yet," Stratis admitted.

"I thought so," Mitth'raw'nuruodo said suddenly, urgently. "But we have seen them."

Stratis felt a chill run down his spine. "Where?"

"At the very edge of the Chiss Ascendancy," the Chiss said darkly. "It was only a small scouting party, but they fought with tremendous ferocity before they were finally repulsed."

"How many ships were there? What sort of weaponry did they have? Do you have any combat data?", Stratis asked, more quickly than he had intended, but he was tempted by the thought of impressing his master with such information.

"I have some," Mitth'raw'nuruodo said. "Admiral Ar'alani was in command of the force that ultimately drove them away. That's why she came personally to investigate Car'das and his companions. We wondered if the Republic they spoke of might be allied with the invaders."

"So that's why they turned a blind eye to their behavior toward the Vagaari," Stratis concluded. "A two-front war would certainly be unpleasant if the Vagaari found out the Expansionary Defense Fleet was tied up elsewhere."

The Chiss nodded. He was touched that the Human was thinking about how the Chiss would survive a two-front war, but it also confirmed his belief that he had got involved with capable specimens of the Human species. "Correct. My actions were contrary to official Chiss policy, but she knew as well as I that the Vagaari had to be dealt with, as quickly and decisively as possible. I will speak to her; if she's willing, I'll provide you with copies of the information you seek. Perhaps one day our peoples will fight this threat side by side."

"I hope so," Stratis replied with a smile. "And we will prepare for it, just like you."

"Just like me." Mitth'raw'nuruodo smiled a bitter smile. "Although the obstacles on my end may be difficult to overcome."

"Thank you - also on behalf of my master." With the hand that was not holding a blaster, Stratis pulled a piece of flimsiplast and a comlink from his pocket one after the other. "Here are my contact details and a comlink so you can use the data whenever you want."

Mitth'raw'nuruodo took the flimsiplast and put it in one pocket of his black uniform, the comlink in another. "Thank you. Who knows what the future will bring."

Stratis nodded. "I understand what you mean, but I also think that our joint action to free Jorj Car'das from the Zero-G plastic bubble of the Vagaari flagship was a symbol - a beacon for the future. We would be foolish to do without men like you, who have been lost in our own ranks because of narrow-minded people like him..." he looked at the dead Neimoidian, certain that Mitth'raw'nuruodo knew who he really meant with his words, "... and insane doctrines do not advance in their careers. Let me tell you that my master can pave the way for you, that an Aristocra Chaf'orm'bintrano could not even dream of."

Mitth'raw'nuruodo raised his eyebrows. "You do not believe that Admiral Ar'alani, the Defense Fleet or the Eighth Family will continue to stand by me?"

Stratis' expression turned regretful. "To be honest, I have seen many people and other beings abandon or even sabotage a good idea out of cowardice and subservience, just to adapt to circumstances that they could have changed with a little courage and the right people at their side. And I know the right people when I see them — just like my master."

Mitth'raw'nuruodo seemed to consider this. "I appreciate your offer and will remember it."

Stratis raised his hand with the blaster and paused halfway up, as if considering what to do with it. Then he handed the delicate weapon to Mitth'raw'nuruodo. "Keep it as a souvenir. It's small and easy to conceal — perhaps it will even come in handy someday."

"Thank you." The word came out of Mitth'raw'nuruodo's mouth with a delay, but all the more sincerity, then he tucked the weapon into a loop of his holster. "But first I would like to ask you a favor," the Human continued. "I ask you to tell Jorj Car'das that he can start working for me immediately if he wants to. That way we can stay in touch if..." he smiled mischievously, "... your new comlink is broken or the flimsiplast card gets lost."

A microscopically fine grin flitted across the corner of Mitth'raw'nuruodo's mouth. "Well, then I still have the blaster. You really think of everything, Commander Stratis."

"Oh, let's forget it," Stratis' green eyes laughed, "Now that these interrogations and accusations are over, you can call me Kinman Doriana again."

"Then I would also like to tell you a new name for myself. My friends are also welcome to call me by my core name."

"Core name?" asked Doriana.

"The part of the name between the two apostrophes, together with the last letter before the first apostrophe and the first letter after the second apostrophe, forms the core name."

Doriana thought for just a moment. "I am honored, Commander Thrawn," he said solemnly and held out his hand to the Chiss - and Thrawn shook it.

༺༻

Ten minutes later on the Springhawk, Commander Thrawn's flagship

"You're joking, he's offering me a job?" Car'das asked when he heard Stratis' offer.

"He wanted me to invite you to accompany him back to the Republic on the Darkvenge so that you could discuss it."

"This doesn't make any sense!" Car'das said. "I'm barely out of school. What kind of highpower position could I possibly be qualified for?"

"Age is not necessarily the best indicator of talent and ability," Thrawn replied. "In your case, he was very impressed with the role you played in luring the Vagaari into our trap. You've shown yourself to be intelligent, resourceful, and able to remain cool under fire, qualities he prizes as well as I do."

Car'das rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Did he say what sort of job it would be?"

"I gather it would involve some of the same smuggling work you're doing with Captain Qennto," Thrawn said. "But beneath such surface activities, your primary task would be to create and operate a private information network for him."

Car'das' brown eyes lit up. Smuggling might bring in a lot of credits, but an information network... that sounded like important missions, a higher position, and even more adventures. He imagined what it would be like to be a secret agent. Only one question remained: "A private information network for him?"

Thrawn smiled mischievously. "I assume he will tell you everything on board the Darkvenge."

"But he doesn't expect me to set up this network on my own, does he?"

Thrawn shook his head vigorously. "He would begin by giving you several months of training and on-the-spot instruction. After that, you would have some of his contacts and resources in the Republic to draw on."

"Which I would guess are pretty impressive."

Car'das considered for a moment whether he had sounded a little sarcastic when he said that. Not a good start with his new employer.

"It's your decision, of course," said Thrawn. "But I believe you have the necessary gifts to excel at such a job."

"Well, it can't hurt to check it out more. Was there something else?"

To Car'das' surprise, Thrawn suddenly became uncertain. "Speaking of hurting: I too wanted to ask a favor of you. Whichever ship you choose to return on, I'd ask that you never tell Qennto or Ferasi what happened to Outbound Flight. Especially not your friend Maris Ferasi."

Again Thrawn had read his mind, because he had thought about that more than one time as well, but now he wanted to hear Thrawn's reason more precisely. "Especially Ferasi?"

"Especially her," Thrawn said, his voice loaded with sad vibrations. "There are all too few idealists in this universe, Car'das. Too few people who strive always to see only the good in others. I wouldn't want to be responsible for crushing even one of them."

Car'das nodded knowingly. "And besides, you rather liked all that unquestioning adulation coming your way."

Thrawn smiled thinly: "All beings appreciate such admiration," he said thoughtfully. "You have excellent insight into the hearts of others. Stratis has chosen well."

Car'das smiled. "I guess we'll find out." He held out his hand. "Well. Good-bye, Commander. It's been an honor knowing you."

""As it has for me, as well," said Thrawn and took his hand. "Farewell, … Jorj."

The Chiss looked after the Human and he silently wished him and the small smuggler crew, who would soon leave the Springhawk laden with Vagaari treasures, all the best. He was sure that Kinman Doriana would soon share his real name with Jorj Car'das. He wasn't so sure how his friend would react if Doriana one day revealed to him, who the information network that the school-leaver and smuggler was supposed to set up was really working for.

༺༻

It was already late in the evening and Thrawn was still staring at the door through which Jorj Car'das had left him for what would surely be a long time. It was dark on the Crustai base and Thrawn knew that Chaf'orm'bintrano would not give in to his desire to destroy him. But he would take precautions. Similar precautions to those that had enabled the Extragalactic Flight Project to escape. Yes, it had been right to let the damaged giant ship go, because soon he could be the one who had to flee. And then he would need someone to let him go too. Something crackled in the corner of his living room and Mitth'raw'nuruodo was startled out of his thoughts. The air around him felt strangely cold and when he looked out the window, the irregularly shaped horizon that this part of the asteroid called Crustai presented to him, suddenly seemed much harsher and colder in the dark than he had ever remembered. Something had changed and this something was related to the threatening crackling coming from the corner. He pushed aside the question of why he automatically thought this crackling was threatening, jumped up from his chair and turned towards the noise. There in the corner of the living room was the holoprojector that Doriana had activated three days ago to contact his true master.

How had Kinman Doriana managed to deposit the device here in his private quarters? And why had the Human done that? The technical device made unmistakable noises that someone wanted to speak to him. An invisible noose wrapped itself around his chest as he walked the few steps into the corner to the holoprojector, pressed the corresponding button and accepted the connection.

"Commander Mitth'raw'nuruodo, your report," Doriana's secret master said to him.

Thrawn wanted to reply, but no sound would escape his throat. He wanted to tell the half-covered face that he did not know what to report, when the cold voice demanded again: "Your report, Commander Thrawn. What happened to the Extragalactic Flight Project?"

"It was destroyed, Excellency."

"Excellency is a nice title!" the cold voice said disparagingly. "But from now on, you too will call me... Master."

Thrawn grew cold.

The even colder voice sounded impatient and demanding. "So, Commander Thrawn, where were we?..."

The Chiss felt cold beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

"Oh yes," the thin lips continued cynically, "the Extragalactic Flight Project. Kinman Doriana reported to me that it jumped up and away, although damaged. What do you have to say to me about that?"

"They cannot have got far, given the damage we inflicted on them. If there are survivors, they are still within our range."

Thrawn could feel the hooded eyes freezing. "Search parties have already been sent out ... Master."

The Master's square jaw hardened. "I told you to destroy it, completely, Commander Thrawn. You could have. Why didn't you?"

"Forgive me, Master, we were not yet familiar enough with this alien technology to be able to correctly estimate the firepower needed to destroy all six hyperdrives..."

Thrawn grabbed his throat as he was lifted up. His red eyes bulged out of their sockets as he realized that any further words would be a pointless waste on a man who knew no failure and no forgiveness. It was the same feeling he had had when Jedi Master Jorus C'baoth had used the so-called Force to choke him just hours earlier. But where was Kinman Doriana now to help him out of this mess? Where were the droid starfighters that the Human could send to lay waste to his master's headquarters? At the very least, the Human could turn off that damn holoprojector. For the first time, he began to understand why the latter had occasionally seemed so tense during his days on Crustai. Doriana and Stratis - two sides of the same coin - one actor in two opposing roles. Could he do that too? Only Jorj Car'das remained to help him, but this man had also recently left him.

"Remember this, Commander Thrawn," the master announced. "There may be one failure, but not a second time!"

He wanted to reply that he would do everything he could to find the missing remains of the Flight Project, but only a dry wheeze came out of his mouth. But the master also remained silent - and continued to hold up his bony fist, which held him in its merciless screw-on grip. At the moment when he thought it was all over, the master's features relaxed. Thrawn landed roughly on the ground and everything went black.

How many times today?

It was not Kinman Doriana's voice that brought him back to consciousness, but not his master's either, he realized with relief. To be more precise, only the silence in the room had changed; it had become warmer and quieter. Mitth'raw'nuruodo rubbed his eyes and got up from the hard floor of his private quarters. Not only this, but all of Crustai outside the window suddenly looked much warmer than before, despite the darkness, even if it was exactly the same black - so incredibly warm, because Kinman Doriana's master was no longer here.

Thrawn rubbed his aching hip. His eyes scanned the room briefly, then he went to the corner where Doriana's holoprojector... There was no holoprojector there anymore. There had never been a holoprojector there and there never would be! The whole thing had been just a stupid dream that had come when he nodded off in the chair and finally fell off it. And this nightmare was certainly the result of the exertions of that day. After all, he, Commander Thrawn, had actually been strangled that day using the Force, albeit by Jedi Master Jorus C'baoth. It occurred to him that Kinman Doriana's master was perhaps no better than the Jedi he seemed to hate so deeply. What cold brutality and power this half-veiled man had already radiated in the rather blurry holotransmission that he had attended at Doriana's request! But this was just a dream.

Thrawn felt the threats that Aristocra Chaf'orm'bintrano had made to him two hours ago were far worse and more present. Yes, he would oppose it or evade it - even if it meant having Kinman Doriana's ominous master as an ally. And Commander Thrawn already had a clear idea of what welcome gift he would give to impress the powerful patron of Kinman Doriana - and now also of his friend Jorj Car'das.

Author's note: The two interrogation scenes were taken from the novel "Outbound Flight" by Timothy Zahn. Here, they are written from Kinman Doriana's perspective.