Vision of the future

show up would do to the New Republic. Widespread panic would be my guess, with Coruscant scrambling to find enough ships for a preemptive strike at what's left of the Empire.'

'You don't think they'd listen to what he had to say?'

'The way Thrawn carved his way through the New Republic the last time?' Luke shook his head.

'They wouldn't trust him for a minute.'

'You're probably right,' Mara said. 'Parck said there were rumors he'd returned, though how a rumor like that could get started I don't know. But he didn't mention what the reaction had been.'

'And rumors are a lot different than if he actually walked in the door,' Luke pointed out. For a minute they stood there in silence. Then Luke took a deep breath. 'I suppose it's an academic argument, really, when you come down to it,' he said. 'Whatever the original Thrawn might have done, this particular being hasn't done anything wrong. Certainly nothing that deserves a summary execution.'

'True,' Mara agreed. 'Though I imagine you'd have trouble convincing some people of that. Next question, then: do we leave him here to wake up normally and join our friends upstairs? Bearing in mind that they're not too happy with either us or the New Republic at the moment? Or do we see if we can speed up the growth process and take him back to Coruscant?' Luke whistled softly under his breath. 'You sure know how to find the hard questions, don't you?'

'I've never had to find a hard question in my life,' she countered tartly. 'They've always found me first.'

Luke smiled. 'I know the feeling.'

'I'd rather you knew the answer,' she said. 'Bottom line: could Coruscant handle it?' From across the room came a sudden flurry of warbling. Luke turned, to see Artoo bouncing back and forth excitedly on his stubby legs. 'What is it?' he called. 'You find the Unknown Regions data?'

The droid twittered impatiently. 'Okay, okay, I'll be right there,' Luke soothed him, heading for the nearest ramp down to the main floor. He started to pass the sheet-covered furniture—

And paused, looking at the collection. There were half a dozen chairs of various types under there, plus a bed, a table, and a couple of things that looked like storage end tables. 'What do you suppose this is all about?' he called back to Mara.

'Looks like the stuff he'll need to make this place into a cozy little apartment once he's out,' Mara suggested, dropping down to the main floor and coming up beside him. 'He'll want some time to recover, maybe get caught up with what's been happening out there over the past ten years. In fact, I'd run you ten to one that console ring's got a direct feed from whatever news/data links they've got upstairs.'

'Yes, but why is it all piled here instead of laid out waiting for him?' Luke asked. 'It's not like Thrawn wouldn't have known what kind of arrangement his clone would like.'

'Interesting point,' Mara agreed, her voice suddenly uneasy.

Luke threw her a look. 'What is it?'

'I don't know,' she said slowly, looking around. 'Something just suddenly felt wrong.' Luke looked around the room, too. Nothing seemed threatening... but suddenly he was feeling it, too. 'Maybe we ought to get Artoo and clear out of here,' he suggested quietly. 'Take whatever he's got and just go.'

'Let's first see how much he's got,' Mara said. She turned back toward the droid and took a step—

'Who dares disturb the sleep of the Syndic Mitth'raw'nuruodo?' a deep voice thundered from above them.

Luke dropped into a half crouch, lightsaber reflexively raised above him. He looked up—

To an extraordinary sight. Above the railing and second-level equipment balcony, a large ovate section of the stone ceiling was undulating like some sort of rocky fluid. Even as he watched, it slowly formed itself into a giant face looking down at them. 'Who dares disturb the sleep of the Syndic Mitth'raw'nuruodo?' the voice repeated.

'Now that's a nice trick,' Mara murmured. 'Well, go ahead—answer it.' Luke took a careful breath. 'We're friends,' Luke called. 'We mean the Syndic Mitth'raw'nuruodo no harm.'

The fluid eyes seemed to focus on him. 'Who dares disturb the sleep of the Syndic Mitth'raw'nuruodo?'

Luke looked at Mara. 'A recording?'

'Sounds like it,' she agreed tightly. 'But what good does a recording—watch it!' But Luke was already spinning around, lightsaber flashing out into defensive position in front of him, as his own senses flared a warning.