accepted me as legitimate?'
'Was that the only reason?'
Mara hesitated, recognizing the trip wire. Thrawn had been in command of the Empire for over a year now, and yet she hadn't approached him until now. 'There were other reasons,' she said. 'None of which I wish to discuss at this time.'
His face hardened. 'As, I presume, you don't wish to discuss why you helped Skywalker escape from Talon Karrde?'
YOU WILL KILL LUKE SKYWALKER.
Mara jerked, unsure for that first frozen heartbeat whether the voice had been real or just in her mind. The strange buzzing intensified, and for a moment she could almost see the Emperor's wizened face glaring at her. The image grew clearer, the rest of the room beginning to swim before her eyes ... She took a deep breath, forcing calmness. She would not fall apart. Not here; not in front of the Grand Admiral. 'It wasn't my idea to let Skywalker escape,' she said.
'And you were unable to alter that decision?' Thrawn asked, the eyebrow lifting again. 'You, the Emperor's Hand?'
'We were on Myrkr,' Mara reminded him stiffly. 'Under the influence of a planet full of ysalamiri.' She glanced over his shoulder at the ysalamir hanging from the nutrient frame behind his chair. 'I doubt you've forgotten their effect on the Force.'
'Oh, I remember it quite well,' Thrawn nodded. 'It's their dampening of the Force, in fact, that proves Skywalker had help in his escape. All I need to know from you is whether it was Karrde himself who gave the order, or others of his group acting independently.'
So that he would know where to focus his revenge. Mara looked into those glowing eyes, beginning to remember now why the Emperor had made this man a Grand Admiral. 'It doesn't matter who's responsible,' she said. 'I'm here to offer a deal that'll clear the debt.'
'I'm listening,' Thrawn said, his face neutral.
'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.'
