cared what happened there.'
'Information is part of my job,' Thrawn said.
'I suppose so.' The woman nodded to her left. 'What are you planning to do with the leftovers?'
'I don't know yet,' Thrawn said. 'Tell me, Control: what shall we do with you?' Disra shifted his gaze away from the woman, suddenly and belatedly realizing that the last pirate had indeed not been accounted for.
And with good reason. Control was standing perfectly still in the spot where he'd been when the fight began, his hands held open and empty in front of him, his blaster still in its holster. Yet on his face was not fear or anger, but cool contemplation of the scene. 'My congratulations to you, Admiral,' he said, nodding at Thrawn and then at Tierce. 'And to you, Major. I was expecting stormtroopers in hidden wall niches. Your way was much more subtle and equally effective.' He turned his head to look at the woman. 'Your appearance, on the other hand, was completely unexpected. I gather you sneaked in behind us. I'd give a great deal to know how you did that.'
'The only thing the Mistryl have to offer the Cavrilhu Pirates is death,' she countered coldly. 'Give me a reason why I shouldn't start with you.'
Control shrugged; but Disra could tell he wasn't quite as calm as he was trying to let on. 'Because you've already avenged the Mistryl deaths at Lorardian,' he said. 'Zothip was the one who forced the issue there. There was nothing any of the rest of us could do about it.' He turned his eyes back to Disra. 'Just as he was also the one demanding revenge on you and Admiral Pellaeon for the fiasco at Pesitiin, Your Excellency,' he added. 'I'd like to suggest that all such unpleasantries can and should be put behind us.'
Tierce snorted something under his breath. 'Certainly the courageous one, isn't he?'
'You miss the point, Major,' Disra said, smiling at Control. Suddenly, it was all making sense.
'Control here isn't scrabbling around desperately trying to save his skin. He had this whole confrontation mapped out right from the start.'
The Mistryl frowned at him. 'What do you mean?'
'I mean that he decided he was tired of being second in line,' Disra told her, watching Control closely. The slight, knowing smile on the other's lips was all the proof he needed that he had hit it precisely. 'All of it was pure politics.'
'It was more than just politics, Your Excellency,' Control said. 'Zothip had mouth and bluster; but he didn't have the brains to run an organization as large as ours. For years now I've been the one who's been holding it all together. It's high time I took over the perks as well as the work.'
'How convenient that we've cleared the path for you,' Thrawn said. 'Is there anything more you want from us?'
'For starters, I'd like to leave here alive,' Control said, giving each of the Imperials a smile that managed to be smug and ingratiating at the same time. 'Other than that—' He hesitated. 'Zothip was right about our arrangement with Moff Disra,' he said, turning his attention to Thrawn. 'We made out pretty good, but we were also taking too many of the risks. Besides that, the New Republic seems to be on to us now. I think it's time we bowed out.'
'Then you forfeit your chance to share in the division of the galaxy at the Empire's victory,' Disra warned, wondering why he was even bothering to try to talk Control into this. Certainly he didn't really care if the Cavrilhu Pirates walked or not.
He needn't have worried. 'We'll take our chances,' Control said. 'You may be a genius, Admiral, but frankly I don't think even you can pull it off.'
'As you wish,' Thrawn said. 'You will, of course, still keep the Preybird production line operating.'
'We'll keep it running,' Control promised. 'In fact, I'll give you our interest in the whole operation as a welcome- back present.'
He smirked, but in Disra's eyes the expression rang just a little bit hollow. 'And as a token of our past association with the Empire, and of our friendly parting of the ways.'
'Of course,' Thrawn said, giving him a knowing smile in return. 'And just in case you're wrong about the extent of my genius?'
The smirk twitched and vanished. 'A lot of fringe groups got caught in the middle the last time you went up against the New Republic, Admiral,' he said. 'I'd rather the Cavrilhu Pirates not wind up in that position.'
'I think that can be avoided,' Thrawn agreed. 'Certainly as long as the Preybirds continue to be delivered.'
'You've got a deal,' Control said, his eyes flicking to the Mistryl as he cautiously lowered his arms. 'If that's all, then, I have an organization to restructure. Good luck to you, Admiral.'
