[Thrawn Trilogy] - 01(13)
Her lip twisted. “So I’ve heard,” she said, her voice going noncommittal again. “But bear in mind that if you give me that kind of authority, I am going to use it. There’s some revamping of the whole organizational structure-“
She broke off as the intercom on his desk warbled. “Yes?” Karrde called toward it.
“It’s Aves,” a voice said. “Thought you’d like to know we’ve got company: an Imperial Star Destroyer just made orbit.”
Karrde glanced at Mara as he got to his feet. “Any make on it yet?” he asked, dropping his napkin beside his plate and stepping around the desk to where he could see the screen.
“They’re not exactly broadcasting ID sigs these days,” Aves shook his head. “The lettering on the side is hard to read at this distance, but Torve’s best guess is that it’s the Chimaera.”
“Interesting,” Karrde murmured. Grand Admiral Thrawn himself. “Have they made any transmissions?”
“None that we’ve picked up-wait a minute. Looks like … yes-they’re launching a shuttle. Make that two shuttles. Projected landing point …” Aves frowned at something offscreen for a moment. “Projected landing point somewhere here in the forest.”
Out of the corner of his eyes, Karrde saw Mara stiffen a bit. “Not in any of the cities around the edge?” he asked Aves.
“No, it’s definitely the forest. No more than fifty kilometers from here, either.”
Karrde rubbed his forefinger gently across his lower lip, considering the possibilities. “Still only two shuttles?”
“That’s all so far.” Aves was starting to look a little nervous. “Should I call an alert?”
“On the contrary. Let’s see if they need any help. Give me a hailing channel.”
Aves opened his mouth; closed it again. “Okay,” he said, taking a deep breath and tapping something offscreen. “You have hailing.”
“Thank you. Imperial Star Destroyer Chimaera, this is Talon Karrde. May I be of any assistance to you?”
“No response,” Aves muttered. “You think maybe they didn’t want to be noticed?”
“If you don’t want to be noticed, you don’t use a Star Destroyer,” Karrde pointed out. “No, they’re most likely busy running my name through ship’s records. Be interesting to see some day just what they have on me. If anything.” He cleared his throat. “Star Destroyer Chimaera, this is-“
Abruptly, Aves’s face was replaced by that of a middle-aged man wearing a captain’s insignia. “This is Captain Pellaeon of the Chimaera,” he said brusquely. “What is it you want?”
“Merely to be neighborly,” Karrde told him evenly. “We track two of your shuttles coming down, and wondered if you or Grand Admiral Thrawn might require any assistance.”
The skin around Pellaeon’s eyes tightened, just a bit. “Who?”
“Ah,” Karrde nodded, allowing a slight smile. “Of course. I haven’t heard of Grand Admiral Thrawn, either. Certainly not in connection with the Chimaera. Or with some intriguing information raids on several systems in the Paonnid/Obroa-skai region, either.”
The eyes tightened a little more. “You’re very well informed, Mr. Karrde,” Pellaeon said, his voice silky but with menace lurking beneath it. “One might wonder how a lowly smuggler would come by such information.”
Karrde shrugged. “My people hear stories and rumors; I take the pieces and put them together. Much the same way your own intelligence units operate, I imagine. Incidentally, if your shuttles are planning to put down in the forest, you need to warn the crews to be careful. There are several dangerous predator species living here, and the high metal content of the vegetation makes sensor readings unreliable at best.”
“Thank you for the advice,” Pellaeon said, his voice still frosty. “But they won’t be staying long.”
“Ah,” Karrde nodded, running the possibilities through his mind. There were, fortunately, not all that many of them. “Doing a little hunting, are they?”
Pellaeon favored him with a slightly indulgent smile. “Information on Imperial activities is very expensive. I’d have thought a man in your line of work would know that.”
“Indeed,” Karrde agreed, watching the other closely. “But occasionally one finds bargains. It’s the ysalamiri you’re after, isn’t it?”
The other’s smile froze. “There are no bargains to be had here, Karrde,” he said after a moment, his voice very soft. “And expensive can also mean costly.”