[Thrawn Trilogy] - 02(97)
“I want you to stop your harassment of Karrde and his organization. To cancel the cash bounty on all of us, and clear us with all Imperial forces and worlds that you control.” She hesitated; but this was no time to go all bashful. “I also want a monetary credit of three million to be deposited under Karrde’s name toward the purchase of Imperial goods and services.”
“Indeed,” Thrawn said, his lip twitching in an amused smile. “I’m afraid Skywalker isn’t worth nearly that much to me. Or do you propose to deliver Coruscant, as well?”
“I’m not offering Skywalker or Coruscant,” Mara said. “I’m offering the Katana fleet.”
The amused smile vanished. “The Katana fleet?”
Thrawn repeated quietly, his eyes glittering.
“Yes, the Katana fleet,” Mara said. “The Dark Force, if you prefer the more dramatic title. I presume you’ve heard of it?”
“I have indeed. Where is it?”
The tone of command again; but this time Mara was ready for it. Not that it would have done him any good anyway. “I don’t know,” she told him. “But Karrde does.”
For a long moment Thrawn gazed at her in silence. “How?” he asked at last.
“He was on a smuggling mission that went sour,” she told him. “They escaped past some Imperial watchdogs, but didn’t have time to do a proper jump calculation. They ran into the fleet, thought it was a trap, and jumped again, nearly destroying the ship in the process. Karrde was on nav duty; later, he figured out what they’d hit.”
“Interesting,” he murmured. “When exactly was this?”
“That’s all I’ll give you until we have a deal,” Mara told him. She caught the expression on his face- “And if you’re thinking of running me through one of Intelligence’s sifters, don’t bother. I really don’t know where the fleet is.”
Thrawn studied her. “And you would have blocks set up around it even if you did,” he agreed. “All right. Tell me where Karrde is, then.”
“So Intelligence can sift him instead?” Mara shook her head. “No. Let me go back to him, and I’ll get you the location. Then we’ll trade. Assuming the deal is to your liking.”
A dark shadow had settled across Thrawn’s face. “Do not presume to dictate to me, Mara Jade,” he said quietly. “Not even in private.”
A small shiver ran up Mara’s back. Yes; she was remembering indeed why Thrawn had been made a Grand Admiral. “I was the Emperor’s Hand,” she reminded him, matching the steel in his tone as best she could. Even to her own ears it came out a poor second. “I spoke for him : and even Grand Admirals were obliged to listen.”
Thrawn smiled sardonically. “Really. Your memory serves you poorly, Emperor’s Hand. When all is said and done, you were little more than a highly specialized courier.”
Mara glared at him. “Perhaps it is your memory that needs refreshing, Grand Admiral Thrawn,” she retorted. “I traveled throughout the Empire in his name, making policy decisions that changed lives at the highest levels of government-“
“You carried out his will,” Thrawn cut her off sharply. “No more. Whether you heard his commands more clearly than the rest of his Hands is irrelevant. It was still his decisions that you implemented.”
“What do you mean, the rest of his Hands?” Mara sniffed. “I was the only-“
She broke off. The look on Thrawn’s face : and abruptly, all her rising anger drained away. “No,” she breathed. “No. You’re wrong.”
He shrugged. “Believe what you wish. But don’t attempt to blind others with exaggerated memories of your own importance.” Reaching to his control board, he tapped a key. “Captain? What report from the boarding party?”
The reply wasn’t audible; but Mara wasn’t interested in what Thrawn’s men were doing, anyway. He was wrong. He had to be wrong. Hadn’t the Emperor himself given her the title of Emperor’s Hand? Hadn’t he himself brought her to Coruscant from her home and trained her, teaching her how to use her rare sensitivity to the Force to serve him?
He wouldn’t have lied to her. He wouldn’t have.
“No, there’s no point to that,” Thrawn said. He looked up at Mara. “You don’t happen to have any idea why Leia Organa Solo might have come to Endor, do you?”
With an effort, Mara brought her thoughts back from the past. “Organa Solo is here?”
“The Millennium Falcon is, at any rate,” he said grimly. “Left in orbit, which unfortunately leaves us no way of knowing where she might be. If she’s there at all.” He turned back to his board. “Very well, Captain. Have the ship brought aboard. Perhaps a closer examination will tell us something.”