CHAPTER
41
'Report from Base Command, Admiral,' the comm officer called from the portside crew pit.
'Enemy Star Destroyer has disabled two more of the tractor beam emplacements.'
'Have repairs begun immediately on those emplacements, Lieutenant,' Thrawn said coolly. 'And order Base Command to lock three more beams onto the target.'
Standing a little way off to Disra's left, just aft of the command walkway, Paloma D'asima muttered something under her breath to Karoly D'ulin. 'A question?' Disra asked, taking a step toward the two Mistryl.
The older woman nodded toward Thrawn. 'I was telling Karoly I don't like any of this,' she said, her tone disgusted. 'He's playing with them. Why not just blast them and be done with it?'
'Grand Admiral Thrawn is a very subtle man,' Disra said, hoping the loftiness of his tone would discourage her from asking questions he couldn't answer. As a matter of fact, he didn't understand what Tierce had in mind with this one, either. But the major was standing straight and tall at Thrawn's side, exactly as a good aide should, so presumably everything was still going according to plan. Thrawn must have overheard the comment. He murmured something to Tierce, got a nod of agreement, and the major turned and walked back to where Disra and the two Mistryl stood.
'Admiral Thrawn heard your question and asked me to come explain his reasoning to you,' he said, stepping to D'asima's side where he could talk to her while still keeping an eye on Bel Iblis's attempts to break free of the trap. 'He isn't interested in destroying General Bel Iblis, you see. On the contrary, he wants the general to surrender his ship and crew intact.'
He gestured toward the multiple turbolaser blasts. 'But as you can also see, Bel Iblis is a proud and stubborn man. He has to be convinced first that he has no chance against the resources of this base. Admiral Thrawn is therefore giving him a chance to do his best against us.'
'Showing him the futility of resistance,' D'asima said. She still didn't sound exactly pleased, but at least the disgust was no longer evident in her tone. 'And adding salt to the sore by increasing the number of tractor beams each time Bel Iblis knocks one out.'
'Exactly,' Tierce said, beaming. 'Admiral Thrawn has always been one to treat even his enemies with respect.'
'Though naturally he treats his allies far better,' Disra put in. It wouldn't hurt to remind D'asima why she was here in the first place.
'Admiral?' the comm officer called again. 'We're getting a direct transmission from the perimeter defense coordinator. He urgently requests your assistance in dealing with the X-wings that have broken through his line.'
Disra threw a startled look at Tierce behind D'asima's head. 'X-wings?' he demanded.
'I don't know,' Tierce replied, his voice taut. He made as if to hurry back to Thrawn's side, checked himself just in time at a quick warning glare from Disra. It wouldn't do, the Moff had already warned them both, for Tierce to look too vital to the operation. The con man up there knew how to get him back if he needed him.
But for the moment, at least, their Grand Admiral seemed to have it under control. 'What X-wings are those, Lieutenant?' he asked, his voice calm but with an edge to it.
'He says he reported the penetration to General Hestiv over ten minutes ago,' the comm officer said, sounding confused. 'They apparently sneaked in behind one of our freighters.'
'One of
'An Imperial freighter, sir,' the officer corrected himself hastily. 'Supply run, probably. The coordinator reports it was running all the proper access codes.'
'I'm sure it was,' Thrawn said, his glowing eyes flashing. 'And General Hestiv just happened to forget to pass this information on to us, did he?'
His gaze shifted around, fell on Tierce. 'Major Tierce?'
'Yes, sir,' Tierce said, stepping briskly forward at the cue. 'Shall I locate that freighter for you?'
'Please,' Thrawn said gravely, picking up on the cue in turn.
And then, still looking back in their direction, the glowing eyes suddenly widened. Disra frowned—
