“Unfortunately, we still have one more leg to our mission,” Samakro said. “Before we can head back to Csilla, we need to return the Magys and her companion to Rapacc.”
Lakinda felt her eyes narrow. “If you’re suggesting I do that instead of you—”
“Actually, Mid Captain,” Thrawn said, “none of us are going to Rapacc.”
Samakro frowned. “Excuse me, sir?”
“Caregiver Thalias has already spoken to the Magys,” Thrawn said. “Having seen the devastation below, she’s now even more fully convinced that her people are all dead and that only the physical planet itself can be saved.”
“With due respect to you and the Magys, sir, that’s a completely unwarranted conclusion,” Samakro said. “We were barely able to take a cursory look. A thorough evaluation would take days or weeks.”
“Nevertheless, that’s the conclusion she has reached,” Thrawn said. “She’s therefore decided that upon her return to Rapacc she’ll order her refugees to join the rest of their people in death.”
Lakinda stared at him. “You mean she’ll just flat-out kill them?”
“Not kill them, but simply order them to die,” Thrawn said. “They believe that in death they’ll touch something they call the Beyond that will then allow them to join together and begin healing their planet.”
“To what end?” Lakinda asked. “If the people are already dead, what does the planet matter?”
“The Magys believes they should prepare a home for those who may someday adopt their former world as their own.”
Lakinda felt her throat tighten. “Let me guess. She assumed those alien warships were proof that the real estate has already changed hands?”
“If not proof, certainly a strong indication,” Thrawn said. “Caretaker Thalias and I have spoken to her at length and have been unable to change her mind.”
“So that’s it?” Lakinda asked. “She’ll go back to Rapacc and order her people to die, and she expects them to do that?”
Thrawn locked eyes with her. “She’s already ordered her companion to die,” he said, his voice low and dark. “He’s already complied.”
“What?” Samakro demanded, his eyes going wide. “When?”
“Approximately an hour ago,” Thrawn said. “Shortly before the three of us convened this meeting.” He paused, and Lakinda saw a shadow of pain cross his face. “Uingali’s calculations seem to have been off by a few days.”
“So it would seem,” Samakro said. His tone was cold, but Lakinda could tell the anger wasn’t directed at his commander. “What about their guards? Where were they?”
“On duty as ordered,” Thrawn said. “But they knew the presumed time line and weren’t anticipating such an action yet.”
“And you didn’t say anything about it to us until now?”
“We had more pressing matters to discuss,” Thrawn said. “Speaking out earlier wouldn’t have benefited the deceased.”
Samakro took a deep breath, and Lakinda could see him forcing his mind and emotions back under control. For herself, she felt like she’d just been kicked in the stomach. “What about the Magys?”
“She’s in no danger,” Thrawn said.
“You just said she considers her situation hopeless.”
“She has a duty to order her people to die,” Thrawn said. “She can’t do that if she herself is dead.”
“You think she’ll buy that line of reasoning?”
“Not really,” Thrawn conceded. “Caregiver Thalias already made that suggestion, in fact. The Magys argued in return that news of her death would raise a new person to her title, who would then be responsible for making that decision.”
“In that case, I don’t see how you can say she’s out of danger,” Samakro persisted. “Sooner or later she’ll figure out we’re not going back to Rapacc and take the obvious next step.”
“She’s out of danger,” Thrawn said evenly, “because she’s currently asleep in a hibernation chamber.”
Samakro’s mouth dropped open. “She’s what?”
“Consider our options,” Thrawn said. “We could return her to Rapacc, but there’s no guarantee the Paccosh could or would keep her incommunicado. Unless we’re prepared to let two hundred people die at her command, we can’t do that. Furthermore, if I’m to obey Senior Captain Lakinda’s message, we don’t have time for a side trip of that length. Our options are therefore to let the Magys die or to keep her aboard the Springhawk. I’ve chosen the latter.”
“On what grounds?” Samakro asked. “There’s no standing order that permits you to carry an alien indefinitely aboard an Ascendancy warship.”
“It’s not indefinite, but only until we can return her to Rapacc,” Thrawn said. “Preferably after finding some hope for her and her people. As to justification, she’s the direct cause of death of another passenger aboard my ship. Under those circumstances, I have the authority to put her in confinement until she can be delivered to a place of judgment.”
“Her world is spinning its way right below us,” Samakro said. “We can send her there.”
“We don’t have time to find a proper location for her,” Thrawn said. “Putting her down in a random spot would likely be sending her to her death.”
“Maybe that’s what we have to do,” Samakro said, starting to sound angry. “Her life is her business. It’s certainly none of ours.”
“I believe it is,” Thrawn said. “All lives are important, and I resist the thought of standing by and watching two hundred possibly needless deaths. Moreover, we know this world was important to the Nikardun. Otherwise, why move to blockade Rapacc when the refugees arrived there? There was—or is—something of interest down there, and the Magys may be the key to that mystery. For the security of the Ascendancy, we need to solve it.”
“I doubt the Council or Syndicure would agree,” Samakro pointed out. “What do you think they will say to all this?”
Thrawn turned from him to look at Lakinda. “Actually,” he said, “I wasn’t going to tell them.”
Reflexively, Lakinda pressed back against her chair. Up until this point, she’d been feeling like an outsider unwillingly dragged into eavesdropping distance of a family argument. Now, with that look, she was suddenly part of it.
“You can’t be serious,” Samakro said.
“Why not?” Thrawn countered. “As you yourself said, neither group would agree with this course of action. Yet you must also recognize that the presence of an alien Battle Dreadnought means there is potential danger here that must be uncovered.”
“Even if I conceded that, there are practical considerations,” Samakro said. “How could you even hide her presence? Too many officers and warriors know she and her companion were aboard.”
“Her companion has already ended his life,” Thrawn said. “The log will show that she, too, made that decision.”
“She—? Oh,” Samakro said sourly. “Right. Of course. She made the decision, but wasn’t allowed to carry it out.”
“The log will leave that point open for interpretation,” Thrawn said, his eyes still on Lakinda. “Senior Captain? Comments?”
Lakinda took a deep breath. Not just in the middle of a family argument, but now invited to join in the battle. Now what was she supposed to do?
“The Springhawk is your ship, Senior Captain Thrawn,” she said, a part of her mind noting that her voice had reflexively pitched itself into military-formal. Verbal or not, this was definitely for the record. “These decisions are yours, to stand or fall by. If you order me to remain silent, I will do so.” She braced herself. “Provided I’m not required to directly lie to a superior.”