“Yes, Admiral.” Pellaeon signaled to the navigator, who nodded and got busy. “You think he’s right about Skywalker going there?”
Thrawn shrugged fractionally. “The Jedi had ways of influencing people, Captain, even over considerable distances. It’s possible that even out here he was close enough to Skywalker to plant a suggestion or compulsion. Whether those techniques will work on another Jedi-” He shrugged again. “We’ll see.”
“Yes, sir.” The numbers were starting to track across Pellaeon’s display now. “Well, even if Skywalker leaves Nkllon immediately, there won’t be any problem getting C’baoth to Jomark ahead of him.”
“I knew that much already, Captain,” Thrawn said. “What I need is a bit more challenging. We’re going to drop C’baoth off on Jomark, then backtrack to a point on Skywalker’s projected course. A point at least twenty light-years away, I think.”
Pellaeon frowned at him. The expression on Thrawn’s face made the back of his neck tingle … “I don’t understand, sir,” he said carefully.
The glowing eyes regarded him thoughtfully. “It’s quite simple, Captain. I mean to disabuse our great and glorious Jedi Master of his growing belief that he’s indispensable to us.”
Pellaeon got it then. “So we wait along Skywalker’s projected approach to Jomark and ambush him?”
“Precisely,” Thrawn nodded. “At which point we decide whether to capture him for C’baoth-” his eyes hardened “-or simply kill him.”
Pellaeon stared at him, feeling his jaw drop. “You promised C’baoth he could have him.”
“I’m reconsidering the deal,” Thrawn told him coolly. “Skywalker has proved himself to be highly dangerous, and by all accounts has already withstood at least one attempt to turn him. C’baoth should have more success bending Skywalker’s sister and her twins to his will.”
Pellaeon glanced behind him at the closed doors, reminding himself firmly that there was no way for C’baoth to eavesdrop on their conversation with all the ysalamiri scattered around the Chimera’s bridge. “Perhaps he’s looking forward to the challenge, sir,” he suggested cautiously.
“There will be many challenges for him to face before the Empire is reestablished. Let him save his talents and cunning for those.” Thrawn turned back to his monitors. “At any rate, he’ll likely forget all about Skywalker once he has the sister. I expect our Jedi Master’s wants and desires will prove to be as erratic as his moods.”
Pellaeon thought back. On the matter of Skywalker, at least, C’baoth’s desire seemed to have remained remarkably steady. “I respectfully suggest, Admiral, that we still make every possible effort to take Skywalker alive.” He had a flash of inspiration- “Particularly since his death might induce C’baoth to leave Jomark and return to Wayland.”
Thrawn looked back at him, glowing eyes narrowed. “Interesting point, Captain,” he murmured softly. “Interesting point, indeed. You’re right, of course. By all means, we must keep him off Wayland. At least until the work on the Spaarti cylinders is finished and we have all the ysalamiri there we’re going to need.” He smiled tightly. “His reaction to what we’re doing there might not be at all pleasant.”
“Agreed, sir,” Pellaeon said.
Thrawn’s lip twitched. “Very well, Captain: I accede to your suggestion.” He straightened himself in his seat. “It’s time to be going. Prepare the Chimaera for lightspeed.”
Pellaeon turned back to his displays. “Yes, sir. Direct route to the rendezvous point?”
“We’ll be making a short detour first. I want you to swing us around the system to the commercial out-vector near the shieldship depot and drop some probes to watch for Skywalker’s departure. Near-system and farther out.” He looked out the viewport in Nkllon’s direction. “And who knows? Where Skywalker goes, the Millennium Falcon often goes, as well.”
“And then we’ll have them all.”
Chapter 14
“Fifty-one,” Lando Calrissian growled, throwing a glare at Han and Leia as he paced a convoluted path around the low chairs in the lounge. “Fifty-one of my best reconditioned mole miners. Fifty-one. That’s almost half my work force. You realize that?- half my work force.”
He dropped down into a chair, but was on his feet again almost immediately, stalking around the room, his black cloak billowing behind him like a tame storm cloud. Leia opened her mouth to offer commiseration, felt Han squeeze her hand warningly. Obviously, Han had seen Lando in this state before. Swallowing back the words, she watched as he continued his caged-animal pacing.