Vision of the future

He trailed off, the long years seeming to weigh even more heavily on his shoulders. After all this time, after all his tireless work and sacrifice for the Empire, to be waved so casually aside. Especially for someone like Disra. 'If he's siding with Disra,' he continued quietly, 'then that is what is best for the Empire. And we will accept it.'

For a minute they stood together in silence, the muted background of the Chimaera's bridge activity the only sound. Pellaeon let his gaze sweep slowly across the bridge of his ship, wishing he knew what he should do next. If Thrawn was back, of course, he need do nothing—the Grand Admiral would make his wishes and orders known in his own good time.

But if Thrawn wasn't back...

He stepped forward and gestured to the Intelligence duty officer at his portside crew pit station.

'We've intercepted several rumors of Grand Admiral Thrawn's return in the past two weeks,' he said.

'Have any of the reports mentioned him being associated with any Star Destroyer other than the Relentless?'

'Let me check, Admiral,' the officer reported, keying his board. 'No, sir, they haven't. All the rumors specify either the Relentless or Captain Dorja or both.'

'Good,' Pellaeon said. 'I want an immediate priority records search through Bastion Military Control. Find out where the Relentless has gone.'

'Yes, sir.'

The officer busied himself at his board. 'You don't really think Dorja would file a destination plan against Thrawn's orders, do you?' Vermel murmured.

'No,' Pellaeon said. 'But I'm not convinced any of this heavy secrecy came from Thrawn in the first place. And if it was Disra's idea, he may not have thought to even mention to Dorja that he was hiding from me.'

'Yes, but—'

'Here it is, sir,' the Intelligence officer spoke up. 'The Relentless, Captain Dorja commanding, left Bastion twenty hours ago en route for Yaga Minor. Transit time estimated at twelve hours. Passengers listed as Moff Disra—' He looked up, and Pellaeon could see him swallow. 'And Grand Admiral Thrawn.'

Pellaeon nodded. 'Thank you,' he said. 'Captain Ardiff?'

'Sir?' Ardiff said, looking up from his conversation with the systems monitor officer.

'Set course for Yaga Minor,' Pellaeon ordered. 'We'll leave as soon as the ship is ready.'

'Yes, sir,' Ardiff said, turning around and lifting his hand toward the nav station. 'Navigator?'

'I hope you know what you're doing, sir,' Vermel said uneasily. 'If Thrawn and Disra are working together, forcing a confrontation with Disra in his presence may not exactly be a wise career move.' Pellaeon smiled mirthlessly. 'Any considerations of career moves are far in my distant past,' he said. 'More to the point, there's always the slim chance that Thrawn is somehow unaware of the worst of Disra's offenses against the Empire. If so, it's my sworn duty as an Imperial officer to bring them to his attention—'

'Admiral!' a voice snapped from the sensor station. 'Ship incoming—fifty-five degrees by forty. Unknown configuration, sir.'

'Stand by defenses,' Pellaeon replied calmly, eyes searching along the specified vector as he strode down the command walkway toward the viewport. Unknown ships, in his experience, were nearly always false alarms: an unfamiliar angle or modification, or else some obscure design that that particular sensor officer had never run into before. He caught a glimpse of the craft out the side viewport—

And stopped in midstride, staring out at it in disbelief. What in the name of the Empire—?

'Admiral?' the comm officer called tentatively, his voice unnaturally high-pitched. 'Sir, they're hailing us. Rather, they're hailing you.'

Pellaeon frowned. 'Me personally?'

'Yes, sir. He asked specifically for Admiral Pellaeon—'

'Then you'd better put it on for the Admiral, hadn't you?' Ardiff interrupted brusquely.