“My apologies in advance if I’m not. Let’s go.”
Slowly, by comlink and intercom, the reports began to come in. They weren’t encouraging.
“No sign of them anywhere in the detention level area,” a stormtrooper commander reported to Pellaeon with the distracted air of someone trying to hold one conversation while listening to another. “One of the waste chute gratings in detention has been found cut open-that must be how they got Karrde out.”
“Never mind how they got him out,” Pellaeon growled. “The recriminations can wait until later. The important thing right now is to find them.”
“The security teams are searching the area of that turbolift alert,” the other said, his tone implying that anything a stormtrooper commander said must by, definition be important. “So far there’s been no contact.”
Thrawn turned from the two communications officers who had been relaying messages for him to and from the hangar bays. “How was the waste chute grating cut open?” he asked.
“I have no information on that,” the commander said.
“Get it,” Thrawn said, his tone icy. “Also inform your search parties that two maintenance techs have reported seeing a man in a TIE fighter flight suit in the vicinity of that waste collector. Warn your guards in the aft hangar bays, as well.”
“Yes, sir,” the commander said.
Pellaeon looked at Thrawn. “I don’t see how it matters right now how they got Karrde out, sir,” he said. “Wouldn’t our resources be better spent in finding them?”
“Are you suggesting that we send all our soldiers and stormtroopers converging on the hangar bays?” Thrawn asked mildly. “That we thereby assume our quarry won’t seek to cause damage elsewhere before attempting their escape?”
“No, sir,” Pellaeon said, feeling his face warming. “I realize we need to protect the entire ship. It just seems to me to be a low-priority line of inquiry.
“Indulge me, Captain,” Thrawn said quietly. “It’s only a hunch, but-
“Admiral,” the stormtrooper commander interrupted. “Report from search team 207, on deck 98 nexus 326-KK.” Pellaeon’s fingers automatically started for his keyboard; came up short as he remembered that there was no computer mapping available to pinpoint the location for him. “They’ve found team 102, all dead,” the commander continued. “Two were killed by blaster fire; the other two :” He hesitated. “There seems to be some confusion about the other two.”
“No confusion, Commander,” Thrawn put in, his voice suddenly deadly. “Instruct them to look for near microscopic cuts across the bodies with partial cauterization.”
Pellaeon stared at him. There was a cold fire in the Grand Admiral’s eyes that hadn’t been there before. “Partial cauterization?” he repeated stupidly.
“And then inform them,” Thrawn continued, “that one of the intruders is the Jedi Luke Skywalker.”
Pellaeon felt his mouth drop open. “Skywalker?” he gasped. “That’s impossible. He’s on Jomark with C’baoth.”
“Was, Captain,” Thrawn corrected icily. “He’s here now.” He took a deep, controlled breath; and as he let it out, the momentary anger seemed to fade away. “Obviously, our vaunted Jedi Master failed to keep him there, as he claimed he’d be able to. And I’d say that we now have our proof that Skywalker’s escape from Myrkr wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision.”
“You think Karrde and the Rebellion have been working together all along?” Pellaeon asked.
“We’ll find out soon enough,” Thrawn told him, turning to look over his shoulder. “Rukh?”
The silent gray figure moved to Thrawn’s side. “Yes, my lord?
“Get a squad of noncombat personnel together,” Thrawn ordered. “Have them collect all the ysalamiri from Engineering and Systems Control and move them down to the hangar bays. There aren’t nearly enough to cover the whole area, so use your hunter’s instincts on their placement. The more we can hamper Skywalker’s Jedi tricks, the less trouble we’ll have taking him.”
The Noghri nodded and headed for the bridge exit. “We could also use the ysalamiri from the bridge-” Pellaeon began.
“Quiet a moment, Captain,” Thrawn cut him off, his glowing eyes gazing unseeing through the side viewport and the edge of the planet turning beneath them. “I need to think. Yes. They’ll try to travel in concealment whenever possible, I think. For now, that means the turbolift tunnels.” He gestured to the two communications officers still standing beside his chair. “Order turbolift control to put the system back into normal service except for the 326-KK nexus between deck 98 and the aft hangar bays,” he instructed them. “All cars in that area are to be moved to the nearest cluster point and remain locked there until further notice.”