Thrawn and Samakro were still where she’d left them, though Uingali had moved to the side of the chamber and was conversing with two of the Paccosh who’d been here when their group arrived. “What have you concluded?” Thrawn asked.
“First of all, it’s not as simple as her killing herself out of hopelessness,” Thalias said. “She believes that the people of her world are dead, but that if she and the others here … die … they’ll join something called the Beyond and be able to heal their world. And by world, I mean the physical planet.”
“How do they expect to do that?” Samakro asked.
“I don’t know,” Thalias said. “But she seems to think this Beyond is connected somehow to how I used to navigate as a sky-walker.”
“The Force,” Thrawn murmured, his voice thoughtful.
Thalias frowned at him. “The what?”
“A concept from Lesser Space that General Anakin Skywalker told me about when we were working together,” Thrawn said. “He defined it as an energy field created by all living things from which he and others could draw power and guidance.”
“So that’s what sky-walkers do?” Thalias asked.
“Perhaps,” Thrawn said. “The concept seemed somewhat vague. But if living things create the Force, perhaps it can work in reverse, with the Force creating or nurturing living things.”
“In order to heal the planet,” Thalias said, nodding. So that was what the Magys was getting at.
“Doesn’t make sense,” Samakro said firmly. “If these alien deaths are what’s necessary to fix their planet, and if all the millions or billions who died in the war weren’t enough, what makes her think an additional two hundred will make the difference?”
“Another good question, Mid Captain,” Thrawn agreed. “Unfortunately, we may not have a chance to inquire further.”
“Or we might,” Thalias said. “I’ve persuaded her to hold off for now. But to do that, I had to promise we’d take her back to their world and see whether the situation there can be fixed.” She stopped, mentally bracing herself for the verbal explosion.
To her surprise, it didn’t come. “Excellent,” Thrawn said calmly. “Did you specify a time frame?”
“I—no, I didn’t,” Thalias said, feeling a bit sandbagged. Thrawn didn’t seem the least bit angry that she’d overstepped her authority. Even more surprising, neither did Samakro. “I’m sorry—I thought you’d be angry.”
“Not at all.” Thrawn gestured to Samakro. “Mid Captain Samakro has been doing some research.”
“Senior Captain Thrawn asked me to take a look at the region the refugees most likely came from,” Samakro said, making a notation on his questis. “There are a couple of small Nikardun listening and comm relay posts in that area, but nothing on Yiv’s list of conquered worlds. As far as we can tell, he never really focused much attention there.”
“But then why did the Nikardun chase the refugees here and put Rapacc under siege?” Thalias asked.
“An interesting question,” Thrawn agreed. “If he wanted their world, why didn’t he move to take it? Conversely, if it was of no use to him, why spend the effort to foment a civil war there?”
“If he did start or at least encourage it,” Samakro cautioned. “That still hasn’t been established. It’s possible the war was just coincidence and had nothing to do with Yiv.”
“Except—” Thalias began.
“Except that, as you just pointed out,” Samakro continued, talking over her, “the Nikardun did spend some effort chasing down the refugees. Even if Yiv wasn’t the primary instigator of the war, something about the system or its people seems to have caught the Benevolent’s interest.”
“Or it caught some Nikardun’s interest,” Thrawn added. “We’ve already seen how the general’s disappearance caused a splintering of his empire as his top captains rushed to claim parts of it for themselves. It could be the refugees’ situation was interesting to one of those captains but not Yiv himself. Regardless, Mid Captain Samakro and I have already agreed we need more information, which fits very well with your agreement.”
“Yes, I see,” Thalias said, wilting a little with relief. So not only had she avoided a rebuke from her commander, she also didn’t have to tell the Magys that the deal was off. “I wish you’d told me that was what you wanted before I went in there.”
“The lack of direction wasn’t intentional,” Thrawn said. “You’d already begun your conversation by the time the mid captain finished his analysis and we agreed on the optimal course of action. All is well.”
“For the moment,” Thalias said, wincing. “But if the damage to their people is as bad as she expects …”
“If it is, we’ll deal with it then,” Thrawn said.
“If she’s even willing to wait that long,” Thalias said. “She told me the time was close at hand. Any idea what she meant by that?”
“We think so, yes.” Thrawn beckoned to Uingali. “Please tell Thalias what you told us.”
“They must be out of contact from anyone with higher authority than the Magys for nine of their months before she can make this decision,” Uingali said, walking over to them again. “The Magys has been waiting for a follow-up ship from their world with a message, but none has arrived. If our calculations are correct …” He looked expectantly at Thrawn.
“We have approximately two weeks,” Thrawn finished for him. “More than enough time to make the journey and learn the status of their world and people.”
Thalias felt a shiver run through her. If the Springhawk had waited with Ar’alani until all the Nikardun bases had been dealt with, they would almost certainly have been too late. “Then we’d better get moving,” she said.
A small smile tweaked Thrawn’s lips; an equally small grimace tweaked Samakro’s. “I mean—” Thalias said, cringing to herself as she belatedly realized she’d just given orders to her commander and his first officer.
“Your enthusiasm is noted,” Thrawn said, sounding more amused than offended. “Mid Captain Samakro, alert Senior Commander Kharill to prepare the Springhawk to depart. We’ll lift directly from here with the Magys; Uingali can return to the capital aboard the Paccian transport. Let the senior commander know we’re bringing a guest, and have him prepare quarters for her.”
“Yes, sir,” Samakro said.
Thalias braced herself. “We’ll need quarters for her companion, too,” she said. “She wanted to bring a witness.”
“I see,” Thrawn said, again taking it in stride. “And a companion, Mid Captain.”
“Yes, sir,” Samakro said, giving Thalias one last look as he pulled out his comm.
“One other thing,” Thrawn continued. “Make sure all officers are aware that, when in either alien’s presence, they’re to treat Caregiver Thalias as if she’s a senior officer.”
Samakro froze with the comm halfway to his lips. “Sir?”
“Thalias will be the Magys’s primary contact aboard the Springhawk,” Thrawn said. “By diverting the Springhawk to their world, she’s demonstrated that she has both the authority to make agreements and the power to carry them out. The Magys may have further requests, and we need her to believe that Thalias continues to have the ability to fulfill them.”
“Are we then going to do everything she demands?” Samakro asked stiffly.
“Of course not,” Thrawn assured him. “But sometimes the request alone gives information that would otherwise not come to light. The Magys clearly assumes Thalias is one of the Springhawk’s leaders, and we need to continue playing to that impression. More important, identifying Thalias as a senior officer will explain why she’s often unavailable to meet or speak with her.”