“Interesting,” Samakro said, looking over at Che’ri. “Why haven’t I ever heard of this before?”
“Probably because most caregivers and sky-walkers don’t know about it, either,” Thalias said. “I only figured it out after I lost Third Sight and left the program.”
“And it really works?”
Thalias gestured toward Che’ri. “It’s worked the last two times I tried the coordination. We’ll find out in a few minutes if third time’s the charm.”
“So we will.” Samakro eyed her. “You sure you want her to see you like this?”
Thalias gave him a patient look through her half-lidded eyes. “I’m not drunk, if that’s what you’re worried about. The Magys wanted to perform a religious ceremony to the Beyond before we arrive, and it requires at least two observers.”
“Those observers being her companion and you?”
Thalias nodded. “I tried reminding her that I’m not of her people or their religion, but apparently all that matters in this one are the numbers.” She considered. “The fact that she sees former sky-walkers as having touched the Beyond—whatever she means by that—may also have been a factor.”
“Possibly the biggest.” And since Thrawn had put her in charge of the aliens, she probably hadn’t felt like she could refuse. “Do you understand this Beyond she talks about?”
“Not really,” Thalias admitted. “But I suppose there are people who don’t understand how sky-walkers can navigate the Chaos, either.”
Samakro shrugged. “I know they can do it. Do I also have to understand how?”
Thalias smiled faintly. “I never understood how hyperdrives work, either. If that answers your question.”
“More or less,” Samakro said. “I rather like religions that have a visitors-welcome policy. You did run a bioclear scan first on whatever you drank, right?”
“Actually, there was no drinking involved,” Thalias said. “Or incense, or vapor, or skin rubs. This”—she pointed at her eyes—“is from a sort of audiovisual kaleidoscope she used in the ceremony. Fascinating to watch, but it leaves you feeling like you were run over by a skytruck.”
“It’s usually a little hard to get run over by something that’s flying.”
“Agreed,” Thalias said. “My statement stands.”
“Interesting,” Samakro said. “You should probably see about buying one of the gadgets. There are people in the Ascendancy who pay good money to feel that rotten.”
“Yes, I knew a few of those back in school,” Thalias said. “I’ll see if I can work a deal with the Magys.”
“Good luck,” Samakro said. “I’m still trying to figure out why syncing Third Sight to the sleep cycle isn’t part of standard procedure. We’ve been using sky-walkers for hundreds of years. Even if the caregivers missed the connection, someone must have noticed it. We Chiss are nothing if not good record keepers.”
“I don’t know,” Thalias said, and Samakro saw her throat tighten briefly. “I suppose because it’s easier to specify a standard ten-minutes-per-hour break, which for most sky-walkers is probably close enough, than to order the caregiver to take the time to calculate a more personal cycle.”
“Because it’s easier?” Samakro growled. “This is the Expansionary Defense Fleet, Caregiver. We don’t do things just because they’re easier. We do things because they work. The sky-walkers are the key to our entire mission statement. We need to protect that resource as much as we can.”
Thalias gave a little snort. “You make it sound like she’s just another plasma sphere launcher.”
“So?” Samakro countered. “We’re all resources here—you, me, the whole damn Springhawk. That’s how you have to think in the military.”
“Sorry,” Thalias said with thinly veiled sarcasm. “I always assumed we were real, live, socially valuable people.”
“I didn’t say we weren’t,” Samakro said. “But captains who start to think of their officers and warriors that way will never be able to send anyone into danger. We have to numb that kind of compassion if we’re going to do our jobs.”
“Because otherwise you’ll hurt every time one of them dies?”
Samakro looked away from her, all the ghosts from his past flickering across his memory. “We hurt anyway,” he said quietly. “That’s why we do our damnedest to make sure those lost lives are minimal, and that none of them are wasted.”
Thalias shivered. “Just as well I’m not in your position. I don’t think I could handle it.”
“You’re running close enough to it as it is,” Samakro said. “No. I don’t buy that the caregivers just don’t want to put extra effort into their jobs. There has to be another reason.”
“Like I said, they probably haven’t noticed,” Thalias said. “I don’t know if you knew this, but I’m the first sky-walker in at least a hundred years who’s gone on to become a caregiver. And as I said, it took me years to figure all this out. Someone who’d never been through the program wouldn’t even think to look.”
“Yes, I’d heard about that,” Samakro said, feeling his eyes narrowing in thought. “Seems strange. I’d think you’d be the perfect candidates for the job.”
“I’ve heard most sky-walkers don’t really want to come back,” Thalias said. “They leave the program exhausted, and don’t want anything more to do with it.”
“Maybe,” Samakro said. “But remember what I said about easier a minute ago?”
“You can’t force someone to do this job,” Thalias said. “If they resent it, or don’t want to do it, the sky-walker suffers. There are already enough caregivers in the program who just seem to be going through the motions.”
“I suppose,” Samakro said reluctantly. “It strikes me as something that ought to be looked into.”
“I agree,” Thalias said. “Good luck getting anyone to listen to you.” She cocked her head a little. “May I ask you a question, Mid Captain?”
“Go ahead.”
“What do you think of this mission?” she asked. “Because at the beginning I had the feeling you didn’t approve.”
“Whether or not I approve of a given decision is irrelevant,” Samakro said. “Senior Captain Thrawn has given an order. It’s my job to obey it.”
“I know,” Thalias said. “I’m just saying you seem to be … I don’t know. Calmer right now, or at least less stiff.” She offered a small smile. “This conversation, for one thing. I don’t think you and I have ever had anything like it before. I was just wondering if that calmer attitude toward me means you’re also calmer about the mission.”
“Interesting leap of logic,” Samakro said, thinking quickly, a small part of his mind noting the unusual combination of irony and opportunity that had just presented itself. “Fine. Since you ask … Senior Captain Thrawn and I did some checking on the location of the refugees’ planet, and it turns out it’s not all that far from the final group of Nikardun bases we’ve been clearing out. We’re now wondering if what the Magys called a civil war was actually a massive attack by General Yiv.”
“I thought he liked to conquer planets, not destroy them.”
“Usually he did,” Samakro said. “We’re guessing his plan here was to wipe out the whole population, or reduce it far enough that he could move in his forces without leaving any possible resistance. We think that when we arrive we’ll find the rest of the Nikardun survivors there, probably under the command of one or more of Yiv’s warlords, gathering their forces for a renewed military campaign.”