"Even after I launched missiles against the Vagaari's living shields?"

She lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry I… well, that I complained about that," she said. "I realize you didn't have any choice."

"Which doesn't necessarily make it easier to accept," Thrawn said. "It is, unfortunately, the sort of decision all warriors must make."

"Did we get the gravity projector, by the way?" Car'das asked. "I never heard one way or the other."

Thrawn nodded. "It was collapsed and spark-welded to the outside of the hull just before we made our jump. All six of the fighters escaped, as well."

Car'das shook his head. "We were lucky."

"We had a good leader," Maris corrected. "The Vagaari are going to be very unhappy about this."

"Good," Thrawn said evenly. "Perhaps they'll be angry enough to make an overt move against the Chiss Ascendancy."

Car'das frowned. "Are you saving you weretrying to goad them into an attack?"

"I was trying to obtain a gravity projector," Thrawn said. "Other consequences will be dealt with if and when they occur."

Car'das looked sideways at the medics and assistants working on the other casualties. "Of course," he murmured.

"Meanwhile, our focus must be to return to Crustai with all possible speed," Thrawn continued. "We need more complete medical assistance for our wounded, and to begin repairs to our vessels."

"And in the meantime, you probably need some more rest," Maris added, touching Car'das's arm and nodding toward the door. "We'll see you later, Commander."

"Yes," Thrawn said, his eyes turning to glowing red slits behind sagging eyelids. "And I'm sure you were right, Car'das. I imagine Qennto will be sorry he missed all the excitement."

They arrived at the base to discover that Qennto had far more pressing matters on his mind than missed adventures.

"I'll kill her," the big man promised blackly as he glared at Maris and Car'das through the slotted plastic door of his cell. "I ever get her alone, Iswear I'll kill her."

"Just calm down," Maris soothed, her tone a mixture of patience and understanding. It was a combination she seemed to use a lot with Qennto. "Tell us what happened."

"She tried to rob me-that'swhat happened," Qennto bit out. "You were both there. Thrawnspecifically told us we could pick some of the loot from the pirate ship in payment for language lessons. Right?"

"More or less," Maris agreed cautiously. "Unfortunately, Admiral Ar'alani outranks him."

"I don't care if she's the local deity," Qennto shot back. "That stuff I picked out wasours. She had no business trying to take it away."

"And of course, you told her so," Car'das murmured.

"I'd watch my mouth if I were you, kid," Qennto warned, glaring at him. "You may be teacher's pethere, but it's a long way back to civilization."

"So what happened to your collection?" Maris asked.

"Shewas going to take all of it with her," Qennto said, letting his glare linger on Car'das a couple of seconds longer before turning back to Maris. "Luckily for me, that other Chiss-that Syndic Mitth-whatever-"

"Thrawn's brother," Maris interjected.

Qennto's eyes widened. "No kidding? Anyway, he decided he needed to hear Thrawn's version first, so he made her leave it behind. But thenshe insisted it be put under prescribed seal, whatever the fizz that means."

"So bottom line is. .?" Car'das asked.

"Bottom line is that it's locked away somewhere," Qennto growled. "And according to Syndic Mitth-whatever, even Thrawn can't get it out."

"We'll check with him," Maris promised. "Incidentally, it's notSyndic Mitth-whatever. It's Syndic Mitthrassafis."

"Yeah, sure," Qennto said. "So go talk to Thrawn, already. While you're at it, see if you can get me out of here."

"Sure," Maris said. "Come on, Jorj. Let's see if the commander's accepting company."

At first the guard outside Thrawn's quarters was reluctant to even inquire as to whether the commander would see them. But Maris eventually persuaded him to ask, and a minute later they were standing at his bedside.

"Yes, I saw Thrass's report," he said when Maris had outlined the situation. He still looked weak, but definitely stronger than he had back aboard theSpringhawk. "Captain Qennto needs to learn how to control his temper."

"Captain Qennto needs to learn how to control more that that," Maris said ruefully. "But being locked up has never done him any good before, and it's not likely to do anything now. Can you get him released?"

"Yes, if you'll warn him about disrespecting Chiss command officers," Thrawn said. "Perhaps we should simply lock him up whenever one is on the base."

"Wouldn't be a bad idea," Maris agreed. "Thank you."

"What about the items your brother had sealed away?"

Car'das asked. "Qennto will be impossible to live with until he gets them back."

"Then it's time he began developing patience," Thrawn said. "A syndic of the Eighth Ruling Family has declared it sealed against a command officer's claim of possession. It cannot be unsealed until Admiral Ar'alani returns to present her arguments."

"When will that be?" Car'das asked.

"Whenever she so chooses, but probably not until the Vagaari treasure ship has been examined and its systems and equipment analyzed. She'll want to be present for that."

"But that could take months," Car'das protested. "We can't stay here that long."

"And we can't go back without the extra goods to placate our clients," Maris added.

"I understand," Thrawn said. "But it truly is out of my hands."

Behind Car'das, the door slid open. He turned, expecting to see one of the medics

"So warriors' fortune has finally failed you," Syndic Mitth'ras'safis said as he strode into the room.

"Welcome," Thrawn said, beckoning him in. "Please; come in."

"We need to speak, Thrawn," Mitth'ras'safis said, eyeing Car'das and Maris as he stepped to the other side of his brother's bed. "Alone."

"You need not fear their presence," Thrawn assured him. "Nothing said will be repeated outside this room."

"That's not the point," Mitth'ras'safis said. "We have Chiss business to discuss, which is none of their concern."