Part 27 (2/2)

Car'das caught his breath, his chest suddenly squeezing tightly against his heart. In the center of the display was a horrible, terrifying, impossible sight: a pair of Trade Federation battles.h.i.+ps.

”You recognize them?”

For a moment Thrawn's question didn't register. Car'das continued to stare at the image, his eyes tracing along the curved split-ring configuration of the s.h.i.+ps and up the antenna towers that distinguished Trade Federation battles.h.i.+ps from simple freighters. Then his brain seemed to catch, and he tore his eyes away from the sight.

To find the commander gazing up at him, a hard and knowing expression on his face . . . and once again, Car'das knew it would be fatal to lie.

”Yes, I do,” he said, marveling at how calm his voice sounded. ”They're battles.h.i.+ps from a group called the Trade Federation.”

”Members of your Republic?”

Car'das hesitated. ”Technically speaking, yes,” he said. ”But these days they seem to be largely ignoring our laws and directives.” He forced himself to meet Thrawn's gaze. ”But you already knew where they were from, didn't you?”

”The hull markings follow a similar pattern to those on the Bargain Hunter,” Thrawn said. ”I thought there was a reasonable chance they were from your Republic.”

”But they don't represent the Republic itself,” Car'das added hastily.

”The Republic doesn't have any army of its own.”

”So you've told me,” Thrawn said, his voice suddenly cold. ”You also told me the Republic doesn't condone slavery.”

”That's right, we don't,” Car'das agreed cautiously.

”Then why did I find evidence of slavery aboard the s.h.i.+p that was pursuing you?”

The rings of tension around Car'das's chest tightened a few more turns.

He'd forgotten all about Progga. ”I also told you there were some cultures in our area that do keep slaves,” he said, fighting to keep his voice steady. ”The Hutts are one of them.”

”And the Trade Federation?”

”No,” Car'das said. ”Well, not that I've ever heard, anyway. They're so heavily into droids they probably wouldn't know what to do with slaves if they had them.” Car'das nodded toward the display. ”Which could be a serious problem for us right now. Each of those battles.h.i.+ps carries over a thousand droid star-fighters, not to mention a few thousand battle droids and the landers and carriers to move them around.”

”Then this is an invasion force?”

Car'das winced. ”I don't know,” he said. ”I don't think so, not with only two of them.”

”But they could be here to attack us.”

”I don't know why they're here,” Car'das insisted, sweat gathering around his collar. It was one thing to listen to Thrawn talk about preemptive strikes against vicious conquerors like the Vagaari. It was something else entirely to stand here and see him mentally lumping the Trade Federation or even the entire Republic into that same category. ”Why don't you ask them?”

A faint smile creased Thrawn's face. ”Yes. Why don't we?”

He swiveled around. ”Communications: identify their main command frequency and create a channel,” he ordered. ”These people speak Basic, I presume?”

”Yes,” Car'das said, frowning. Surely the commander wasn't going to try something this potentially tricky in a language he'd barely learned, was he? ”But they'll also have protocol droids aboard that can translate Sy Bisti.”

”Thank you, but I'd prefer to see their reaction when they're hailed in the language of the Republic,” Thrawn said. ”Ready, Commander,” the comm officer called.

Thrawn tapped a key on his board. ”This is Commander Mitth'raw'nuruodo of the Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet,” he said. ”Please identify yourselves and state your intentions.”

Doriana was still fumbling with his tunic belt as he hurried through the open blast doors onto the bridge. ”What's this about an attack?” he asked as he crossed the walkways to where Kav stood in front of his command chair.

”Soothe yourself, Commander Stratis,” Kav said. ”It is not as serious as was first thought.”

”This is Commander Mitth'raw'nuruodo of the Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet,” a voice said from the comm speaker beside the vicelord's chair.

”Please identify, yourselves and state your intentions.”

”He has been repeating that message for ten minutes,” Kav said contemptuously. ”But then, what else can he do?”

”Explain,” Doriana growled. After being hauled out of bed, he was in no mood to put up with Neimoidian smugness. ”You can start by telling me who he is.”

”How should I know?” Kav said scornfully. ”But he is a braggart beyond anything I have yet seen.”

He seated himself in his chair and touched a control, and a tactical overlay appeared on the main display. ”Behold,” he said, waving his long fingers. ”He dares to threaten us with three small cruisers and nine fighters. Most likely they are pirates with a sense of bluff as large as a Dug's pride.”

The message repeated. ”I hear no threat in that message, Vicelord,”

Doriana pointed out, trying to suppress his growing annoyance. He'd been dragged out of bed for this? ”All I hear is a local asking what we're doing in his territory.”

”The threat is implied, Commander Stratis,” Kav countered. ”It is built into all wars.h.i.+ps, as much a part of them as weapons and s.h.i.+elds.”

Doriana looked at the tactical, then at the corresponding telescope display. Even knowing where the s.h.i.+ps were, it was incredibly hard to pick them out of the starfield behind them. Superb stealthing, which meant that Kav was right. They were wars.h.i.+ps, all right. ”Maybe he's got more firepower hanging back in reserve.”

”No,” Kav a.s.sured him. ”We have done a complete sensor scan of the entire area. Those twelve s.h.i.+ps are all there are.”

”This is Commander Mitth'raw'nuruodo-”

”Shall we consider this an unscheduled drill?” Kav added as the message continued to play in the background.

”Let's try talking first,” Doriana suggested, sitting down on the couch beside the other. The fact that this Mitth'raw'nuruodo spoke Basic might very well mean he was a pirate with some familiarity with some of the outer reaches of the Republic.

But it could also mean this was a trick by person or persons unknown to smoke out the truth about the Darkvenge's mission. ”Open a hailing channel,” he ordered.

”Open.”

Doriana reached over to Kav's station and keyed the control. ”I greet you, Commander Mitth'raw'nuruodo,” he said, stumbling a bit over the unusual glottals at the section breaks. ”This is Stratis, commanding Special Task Force One.”

”My greetings in return, Commander Stratis,” Mitth'raw'nuruodo's voice came back. ”Please explain to me the purpose of your task force.”

”We intend no harm to you or your people,” Doriana said. ”But I'm afraid the details of our mission must remain confidential.”

”I'm afraid in turn that your rea.s.surances are insufficient,”

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