Lakphro scratched at his cheek. Sending the brooch who knew where would surely be a colossal waste of time. But Lakbulbup had the brooch, and Lakphro could tell his cousin’s mind was already made up. “Where is Thrawn now?”
“He’s on a pirate-hunting expedition out past the Paataatus,” Lakbulbup said. “But I’m sure he’ll be returning to base sometime soon.”
“How soon?”
“I don’t know,” Lakbulbup said. “After he’s found and dealt with whatever’s out there, I suppose. He’s also got a reputation for thoroughness.”
“Did you miss the part about this being important?”
“Calm down, cousin,” Lakbulbup soothed. “This Haplif fellow has been there, what, you said a month? That’s a lot of time for nothing to have happened, isn’t it?”
“Maybe,” Lakphro said. “But what if—”
“But nothing,” Lakbulbup said firmly. “Trust me, Lakphro. I’ve heard stories about this Thrawn fellow, and I truly think it’s worth running the brooch past him.”
“There’s not much I can do to argue you out of it now, is there?” Lakphro ground out.
“Hey, you wanted me to use my professional contacts, right?” Lakbulbup reminded him. “That’s what I’m doing. Look, it’s really no big deal. There are a couple of Xodlak on Thrawn’s ship. As soon as the Springhawk gets back, I’ll send it to one of them and he’ll pass it on to Thrawn. Nothing to it.”
“And if his pirate hunt goes on for the next two months?”
Lakbulbup’s sigh was audible over the comm. “All right. Compromise. I’ll hold the brooch for Thrawn for … mm … let’s say ten days. If he’s not back by then, we’ll go with your plan and I’ll get the metals analyzed. Fair enough?”
Lakphro shook his head in resignation. “Make it seven and it’s a deal.”
Lakbulbup’s sigh was louder this time. “Fine,” he said. “Seven days.”
“Thanks,” Lakphro said. “Sorry to be so pushy, but this is digging at me, and I need to get it resolved.”
“I understand,” Lakbulbup said, sounding a bit more sympathetic. “But it’ll be all right. I mean, let’s be honest—this is all happening on Celwis. Really, cousin, what kind of crisis could possibly happen on Celwis?”
Lakuviv had expected Patriel Lakooni to be on time. She was. He expected her to listen to his description of the Agbui mines and mining world without comment. She did. He hoped she would accept his proposal for taking the planet and its riches for the Xodlak.
She didn’t.
“Do you even hear what you’re saying?” she demanded when he’d finished his presentation. “You want to involve the Xodlak in this insane project on nothing but a whim and a wink?”
“Excuse me, Patriel Lakooni, but it’s hardly as haphazard as you suggest,” Lakuviv said stiffly.
“Isn’t it?” she countered. “These Agbui pop in out of nowhere, they just happen to land in your province, they just happen to have a nyix mine that no one else in the Chaos has ever heard of, and it just happens to be completely open and undefended? That doesn’t sound insane to you?”
“Just because you haven’t taken the time to talk to and study the Agbui doesn’t mean I haven’t,” Lakuviv said. “I know these people. I know who they are and what they want. Haplif thinks very much as I do”—including sharing Lakuviv’s assessment that the Patriel was a pompous glory-thief—“and we both understand the danger the Agbui people face.”
“And somehow these sophisticated aliens have never heard of nyix?”
“Why should they have?” Lakuviv asked. “They don’t use it—all their ships are civilian. But you saw the analysis of the wires in their jewelry.”
Lakooni shook her head. “No,” she said. “This can’t be as it seems. Somehow, this Haplif is playing you for who knows what purpose. There’s no way this mine could have escaped everyone’s attention. I’m not going to add another layer of gullibility on top of yours. The conversation is over.”
Lakuviv took a careful breath. He’d hoped it would end with her giving her support. But he’d been prepared for the alternative. “If that’s your final word, so be it,” he said. “Just be aware that if the Xodlak don’t move, the Coduyo will.”
Lakooni’s eyes narrowed. “Meaning?”
“Meaning one of Haplif’s traveling companions is a Coduyo scholar,” Lakuviv said. “You probably knew that once, though I suppose you’ve forgotten. The point is that he’s already contacted his Patriarch and they’re in the process of moving on the Agbui mines.”
“Impossible,” Lakooni insisted, eyeing him closely. “The Coduyo barely have functional patrol ships, let alone anything suitable for actual combat. Are they seriously planning to move on an entire world with a couple of century-old cruisers?”
“Not at all,” Lakuviv said. “They’re going to use ours.”
“Are you—?” Lakooni broke off, the narrowed eyes widening. “You mean … our warships? The frigate and cruisers here at Celwis?”
“Exactly,” Lakuviv said. “They’re already gathering Coduyo officers and warriors from the fleet. When they arrive at Celwis, they’ll have emergency authorization certificates allowing them to come aboard our ships and raise them to a war footing.”
“Will they, now.” Lakooni stood up from the office guest chair and waved Lakuviv away from his desk. “Move, Councilor,” she ordered. “I need your secure comm.”
“I doubt the Coduyo Patriarch will take your call,” he warned, standing up and moving aside.
“Oh, he’ll be getting a call, all right,” Lakooni said grimly as she brushed past him. “And he will take it. But that will come later. Right now, I’m going to guarantee the security of my warships.” She dropped down into his chair and waved him toward the door. “Wait outside. This may take a few minutes.”
“Yes, Patriel,” Lakuviv said. He’d expected her to make this call, and to want privacy for it.
In fact, he’d counted on it.
He was standing outside his office when Lakooni emerged fifteen minutes later. “There you are,” she growled, standing in the doorway and beckoning imperiously to him. “Your comm has gone dead. You need to get someone in here to fix it.”
“I’ll see to it right away,” Lakuviv promised as he walked into the office. “Did you make your call?” he added as she followed him inside.
“I made one of them,” she said acidly as he reached past her and closed the door. “And then the comm went down. As I just told you.” She frowned, looking at the desk and then back at him. “What are you just standing there for? I told you to get someone to fix this.”
“Not right now,” Lakuviv said, feeling his heart thudding in his chest. It still wasn’t too late to back down, he knew. Almost, but not quite. “That was a smart move, calling the warships’ commander and telling him under no circumstances to allow any non-Xodlak personnel aboard without consulting you first. That should block even an emergency order from Csilla or Naporar, at least temporarily.”
Lakooni’s face had gone rigid. “What are you talking about?” she demanded. “How did—? You were listening in?”
“Not exactly,” Lakuviv said. “Well, yes and no. You see, I was the junior officer you just spoke to. The one who promised to give your message to the commander.”
Lakooni’s mouth dropped open, a stunned look on her face. “What are you talking about?” she repeated, more mechanically this time.
“We need this, Patriel Lakooni,” Lakuviv said, hearing a slight tremor in his voice. Tension or passion, he wasn’t sure which. Maybe both. “The Xodlak need these mines, and the riches and renown that will come with them. It’s the only way we’ll ever regain the Ruling Family status that was once rightfully ours. To do that, we need to call in fleet officers and warriors, to activate the warships that were also once rightfully ours.”