"You shouldn't talk about a Jedi Master that way," Windu reproved him mildly.

"Am I wrong?"

Windu shrugged, a slight lift of his shoulders. "The fact is, everyone connected with Outbound Flight has had their reasons for keeping the project out of the public eye," he said. "Chancellor Palpatine has been concerned that spending time and money this way in the face of the Republic's other problems might not go over very well. Ditto for the Senate, which provided the Dreadnaughts they'll be using."

He pursed his lips. "As for the Council, we had reasons of our own."

"Let me guess," Obi-Wan said. "C'baoth is hoping Outbound Flight can find out what happened to Vergere."

Windu looked at him in mild surprise. "Youare growing in Jedi insight, aren't you?"

"I'd like to think so," Obi-Wan said. "But this doesn't really qualify. Anakin and I never did get the whole story on her disappearance; more to the point, we weren't able to find her on our last trip out that direction. Never mind what C'baoth wants; I want to know what happened to her."

"Careful, Obi-Wan," Windu warned. "You mustn't allow your emotions to intrude on this."

Obi-Wan bowed his head. "My apologies."

"Emotion is the enemy," Windu went on. "Emotion of all sorts. Yoursand Master C'baoth's."

Obi-Wan frowned. "You think Master C'baoth is getting too close to this project?"

"To be honest, I don't knowwhat's happening with him," Windu admitted reluctantly. "He insists that we need to send a strong force out into the Unknown Regions to find Vergere and bring her back, which is all well and good. But at the same time he talks about how the Republic is teetering on the brink and how it might be good to transfer some of the best Jedi out of the Republic entirely, settling them in new colonies in the Unknown Regions where Coruscant politics can't touch them."

"You're not really considering doing that, are you?" Obi-Wan asked. "We're spread thin enough as it is."

"Most of the Council would agree with you," Windu said. "Unfortunately, the majority also think that by now Vergere's trail is so cold it will probably be impossible to follow. Most of those who still hold out hope think a smaller probe would still be worthwhile, something larger than your attempt but far below the scale C'baoth wants." He grimaced. "The bottom line is that C'baoth is about the only one still pushing for the full Outbound Flight."

"Are you suggesting he might defy the Council if you try to cancel it?"

"Why not?" Windu countered.

Obi-Wan turned back to face the window, and for a moment the room was silent. "So what exactly does the Council want me to do?" Obi-Van asked at last.

"At this moment, Master C'baoth and his Padawan, Lorana Jinzler, are on their way to the spaceport," Windu said. "Apparently, Chancellor Palpatine mentioned some bogged-down negotiations on Barlok, and C'baoth persuaded the Council to send him there to mediate."

"It this something major?"

"Major enough," Windu said. "The Corporate Alliance versus the local government. And you know how anything involving any of the big corporate players makes headlines these days."

"Yes," Obi-Wan murmured. Center-stage negotiations, so of course C'baoth would be headed in that direction. "Again, what do you want me to do?"

A muscle in Windu's cheek tightened. "We want you to go to Barlok and keep an eye on him."

Obi-Wan felt his mouth drop open. "Me?"

"I know," Windu agreed soberly. "But you're here, and you're available. Besides, Skywalker seemed to get along well enough with him the one time they met. Maybe you can frame the whole thing as a desire to show your Padawan how Jedi negotiations are done."

Obi-Wan snorted. "You really think C'baoth will buy that?"

"Probably not," Windu conceded. "But if you don't go, it'll have to be either Yoda or me. You think he'll be less explosive if one ofus shows up?"

"You have a point," Obi-Wan said with a sigh. "Fine. We're between assignments anyway. And you're right; Anakinwas rather impressed by that take-charge single-mindedness of his. Maybe a little youthful hero worship will keep him calm."

"Maybe," Windu said. "At any rate, there'll be a ship waiting by the time you and Skywalker get to the spaceport."

"Any instructions other than to just watch him?"

"Not really," Windu said. He pursed his lips, and his gaze seemed to stretch out toward infinity. "There's something else going on, though. Something deep inside the man that I haven't been able to get a grip on. Some private thoughts, or agenda, or. . I don't know. Something."

"Right," Obi-Wan said. "I'll be sure to watch for that." Windu gave him the sort of wryly patient look Jedi Masters seemed to do so well. "And keep in touch," he said.

Thrawn had told Car'das that his base wasn't far from the spot where his task force had run into theBargain Hunter: What he hadn't mentioned was that the trip would take nearly three standard days.

"About time," Qennto muttered under his breath as the three humans stood together at the back of theSpringhawk 's bridge and watched as the handful of ships flew in formation across a small asteroid field. "I'm about to go stir crazy."

"You could always join Maris and me for the language lessons," Car'das offered. "Commander Thrawn really is decent company."

"No thanks," Qennto grunted. "You two want to aid and abet a potential enemy, be my guests. Not me."

"These people arenot potential enemies," Maris said firmly. "As you'd realize if you'd made any effort to get to know them. They're very polite and extremely civilized."

"Yeah, well, the Huns have a civilization, too, or so they say," Qennto retorted. "Sorry, but it'll take more than good manners to convinceme the Chiss are harmless."

Mentally, Car'das shook his head. Ever since that first night aboard when he'd been frozen out of the negotiations, Qennto had been nursing a grudge against the Chiss in general and Thrawn in particular. Car'das and Maris had both tried to talk some sense back into him, but Qennto was more interested in brooding than in reason, and after a few attempts Car'das had given up. Maybe Maris had, too.

Thrawn had been across the bridge, standing beside the crewer at what Car'das had tentatively identified as the navigation station. Now the commander stepped back and circled to where the humans waited. "There," he said, pointing ahead out the wide viewport. "The large asteroid with the slow rotation. That's our base."