22 Chapter 21 — The Taming of the Shrew

So little activity. I am sad :(

It's hard to pinpoint the exact reason why I'm so openly watching Mara Jade saunter towards me.

Because of her beauty? Yes, there is no doubt that this fact is noticeable. The girl really has outstanding physical shapes and knows how to present herself so that it doesn't seem vulgar, vulgar and downright cheap. She had learned a lot during her years in Palpatine's service. But even on Earth, I was no longer at the age to "fall" into pretty faces, preferring to honor intelligence, wisdom and determination in women.

And in a strange, almost mystical way, this young woman had all this. So what is the reason? Or is it that during the time I got to know this character in the literary version of a Galaxy Far, Far Away, I was impressed by the heroine, and now I'm just drawing in front of me the image I've come up with. Which, by the way, may be radically different from what I imagined based on what I read.

After all, if we judge this way, then books, comics, games and other works based on this universe do not form a continuous flow line of time for one or another character. No, each work is a collection of individual episodes, some of which are interconnected, others not. And what happened to the characters in the «intervals» is a mystery. What did they experience, how did it affect their character and inner world? A curious object for research. But I no longer have time for it.

Because in my attempts to recruit Mara Jade I took a number of liberties, using unconfirmed «trump cards» as in the case of the mental order of the dying Palpatine? "You will kill Luke Skywalker". Yes, this is a very big mistake, which I made due to a desperate desire to «mess up». Fun fact: I started changing the cause-and-effect relationships of this world long before I made the final decision about what my future would be like here. What was the reason for this behavior? Desire to stand out? Or feel like an adjudicator of destinies who can make events go the way they are destined?

Or did I make a decision about my future almost immediately, as I realized myself in this universe, galaxy, body, and subsequently only logically justified this step? It's hard to say without psychoanalysis. And it's hardly necessary, because now a conversation that is extremely important for me will take place. A lot will depend on it. Including my future.

—Welcome to the Empire, Mara Jade,— I said as the girl approached my place and stopped at the foot of the steps. There are only a couple of meters between us. The hand automatically continued to stroke Ysalamiri's back. How comfortable is a chair «a la Palpatine»? Because it is multifunctional. And it has a considerable number of secret compartments. In which there is something interesting, not counting a small but powerful blaster. Something delivered to me by special courier straight from the depths of Mount Tantiss. I wonder if there is a logical explanation for the fact that the room containing this Palpatine trophy was discovered in the labyrinth under the mountain in just the number of days it took for the base commandant to report this and other discoveries to Pellaeon. I learned this information from the latter. And the commandant received a clear and unambiguous order from me. And the courier arrived just in the narrow period of time between the interrogation-recruitment of Captain Hoffner and the arrival of Mara Jade. Is there some hidden intrigue of the Force in this, or a simple mathematical calculation of reaction time?

CYou are not the Empire, Grand Admiral,— the red-haired girl remarked a little harshly. Her eyes sparkled with challenge.

—It's an interesting way of putting this remark,— I allowed myself a restrained smile. —But not devoid of truth. As you can see, what I control is the fleet and the base. All that was given to me by the Imperial Ruling Council in exchange for the fact that the political fragmentation of Imperial Space would remain as it currently is.

—It's hard to imagine that the Grand Admiral would agree to such handouts,— she said boldly... continuing to monitor my reaction.

— The best defense is an attack, isn't it? — I asked a rhetorical question. —But this is not what I expected from the Emperor's Hand.

—I was her,— the girl reminded. —But no longer... If there is no Emperor, then there is no Hand.

—That's it,— I crossed my legs. —Then why are you here, Mara Jade?

The girl seemed to stumble for a moment, looked away to the side and...

And this is already enough to understand the reason why she sent a distress signal from Myrkr. She's broken. She served a powerful state, a ruler whom she considered almost ideal. Then, when the Death Star II exploded, everything was taken from her. Together. No opportunities or prospects. Only an access code of the highest rank and a couple of tricks in stock. Her attempts to return to the Empire were thwarted by the director of Imperial Intelligence, Ysanne Isard, for the latter's personal reasons. And Jade didn't even try anymore. Because for the Empire without Palpatine, she is nothing. During the Imperial Civil War, which began after the death of Palpatine and in fact has not yet ended, it most likely would have simply been eliminated as a possible nuisance, rather than used for its intended purpose.

She started a new life. Which I have already completely uncompromisingly destroyed. Jade responded to the offer to return to the Empire, but now she is no longer sure whether this is the right thing to do. Because her only motivation for returning is to be at least somewhere in business. Preferably one that she knows and can do well. And now is a very dangerous moment — one careless word or expression can make her turn away from me, making her, if not a sworn enemy, then certainly not a friend. And this is the last thing I need.

—I served the Emperor,— the girl said, obviously collecting her thoughts. — Worked for the good of the Empire. I wanted to continue doing what I do best. But I was wrong. The Empire is no longer what it was. And there is hardly a place for me in it.

An interesting saying. And one could believe in it, if not for one fact. Mara Jade has been —inside— this very Empire for too long to simply judge what she just spoke about. Yes, she had five and a half years to look at the situation from the outside. But she's a professional. And people like her don't judge content by its cover. So her words are a lie. Provocation. Examination. Reaction assessment.

The girl is pretending. At least for now. Well, this game can be played by two people.

—The fact that you have not forgotten and continue to put into practice what the Emperor and imperial instructors taught you is, without a doubt, commendable,— I said, stroking Ysalamiri's back. —But you're not on a mission, Mara Jade. And I am not the object of your mission. If you want answers to your questions, ask them. I will be frank within the limits of what is permissible. But I won't lie to you either. I value you, your skills and my time too much to act this way.

— A Grand Admiral who is ready to be frank? — the red-haired woman asked sarcastically. —Something new. As far as I remember, the Emperor selected candidates for these positions according to completely different criteria.

—There was only one criterion — effective service to the Empire,— I said in an even tone. — In your case, frankness equals efficiency. You have already been used in the dark for a long time, kept back from telling people, and outright lied to. Even your last employer turned out to be a little different from who you used to think he was. And you calmly left him. The logical solution would be to be frank with you, without compromising my plans, of course. Perhaps then you will consider it the right decision to stand on the same side with me.

—With you? — the Emperor's Hand clarified. — Not with the Empire?

—Considering that you were in hiding for more than five years, in no hurry to return to service, we can conclude that you are not on the same path with the current Empire,— I said. —But there is a possibility that you and I can find a common language.

—What's the catch? — the woman asked warily. —The Thrawn I knew would never have put the question that way.

—Considering that all your knowledge about me comes down to only your presence at the secret ceremony conferring on me the rank of Grand Admiral, stories about my actions by the Emperor, reports and reports, it is truly surprising that you so easily draw conclusions about me,— the tone is calm , reasonable. No panic. Even if I made a mistake somewhere, and they crossed paths before, Mara is a smart girl. She herself will figure out the reason for precisely such a presentation of events.

The girl was silent for some time. Then, shaking her head, she asked:

—What were you doing in the Unknown Regions?

—I carried out the Emperor's task,— I answered calmly.

— A cartographic expedition performed by an entire Grand Admiral? Jade smiled wryly. —You promised frankness, Thrawn.

—I promised it to you to the extent that it will not hinder my plans,— I had to remind. —I was given an order and I carried it out. Exactly until I realized that my absence would lead to the collapse of the Empire. Upon returning from the Unknown Regions, the Imperial Ruling Council placed separate forces at my disposal, endowed me with the powers of the Supreme Commander and a number of conditions, subject to which I will be provided with all possible support.

— and in return, you don't meddle in their politics,— Jade recalled my words. —Supreme Commander... If Vader were alive, he would not have allowed this to happen.

—History has no if, Mara Jade,— I noted. — Darth Vader is dead, Emperor Palpatine is dead, the Empire's sphere of influence has been reduced to a third of the size of its former territories, and the Imperial Ruling Council and the leadership of other Imperial Remnants are so afraid of my interference in internal affairs that they have given me complete freedom of action, just to keep me away from Orinda and other capital worlds of the Imperial Remnants. So yes, in a certain way the Empire has changed. Drastically.

— And what are you trying to achieve, Grand Admiral? —she asked inquisitively.

—Implementing your own plans,— I answered. The girl barely noticeably wrinkled her nose, realizing that she would not receive a better answer.

— Am I part of your plans? — after several seconds of silence she asked.

—If you want to cooperate,— I confirmed.

—Well, yes,— she grinned. —For you, I am one of those «valuable resources» that you intend to return to the fold of the Empire.

—If you would prefer that I name your old position under Karrde directly, all you need to do is say it,— I clarified, avoiding the subtext of the question.

—In fact, you already exposed me to the Claw, — she said. —If before he only guessed about my past, then after a conversation at his base on Myrkr, he became sure.

— And he hastened to get rid of you,— I concluded. — Instead of figuring it out and making an informed decision. Not the most rational and reasonable approach.

—You knew that the Talon was hiding the coordinates of the Katana fleet,— she said. —You could kill everyone on Myrkr and capture him, torture him and get the information you need, without having to bother yourself with searching for Captain Hoffner and paying bonuses for him.

—In this case, a chain of events would have been launched, the outcome of which did not coincide with my plans. Any action must have a specific goal, and the result obtained must exceed the negative consequences,— I said. —The destruction of Karrde and his comrades did not serve my plans. As well as forcibly capturing and holding you.

— And you think that by flattering me with a promise of frankness, but in response to my questions giving only vague hints, you will persuade me to voluntarily cooperate? — she shook her head. —No, Thrawn, that won't do.

—Then remember what you were taught, Mara Jade,— the unsolicited advice caused poorly concealed indignation in her. — And start asking the right questions. Those that you really want to hear the answers to. Until I started asking them.

Mara Jade was silent. I was thinking about it. And I didn't dare ask directly. Because this would mean going back to the past, to that very traumatic situation for her. Well, if the mountain will not come Mohammed...

—Have the visions returned yet? —I asked. The girl seemed to have been electrocuted.

From under a mane of golden-red hair, two green lights stared at me, which could easily have been the muzzle of a pair of blasters. If it weren't for Ysalamiri, who enjoyed scratching her chin.

—I see from the reaction that yes,— I continued in the same bored mentor tone, as if not noticing the emotions that flashed on her face. This is exactly how Thrawn would behave if he were in my place. He would bring it to the point. — Based on the fact that Luke Skywalker is still alive, you are in no hurry to fulfill the Emperor's last will. But at the same time you declare that without him you see no point in serving the Empire. The double standards in your performance, Mara Jade, are really interesting.

—You wanted me to ask you the «right» questions,— the former Emperor's Hand hissed like a snake. —So here it is. I want to know how you know this. No spy could find out!

—Well this is the right question, Mara Jade,— I allowed myself a modest smile. — I have sources of information. And one day, if we're on the same side, you'll have access to some of them. But in this case, this is only a conclusion based on the Emperor's manic desire to subjugate or eliminate the son of Darth Vader.

—What!? —Jade gasped. —Luke Skywalker... he...

—The son of a fallen Jedi, who was turned to the Dark Side of the Force by Emperor Palpatine in the last hours of the Old Republic,— I said. anakin Skywalker —this was the name Darth Vader bore in the past. Until the destruction of the first Death Star, the Emperor did not know that his student had offspring — frankness is good where it cannot ruin your plans. In other cases, the use of streamlined formulations allows you to simultaneously tell the truth and hide its dimensions. And to switch attention from an acute moment to less «thin ice», relatively shocking news is also suitable. Which, given the current conditions of the girl's unstable psychological state, will fall on favorable soil. It is only necessary to consolidate the shock effect with «revelations» that are equally vulnerable to her. — Until the attack on the rebel base on the planet Hoth, Vader himself did not know about this. The Emperor tasked him with capturing Luke Skywalker in order to bring him to the Dark Side.

—But for what? —Jade asked dumbfounded. —Vader is... stronger.

—My knowledge of the Force is very limited,— I embellished the degree of my awareness, —but I assume that a person who is sensitive to it and has only one cybernetic prosthesis instead of half his body is much more powerful. Darth Vader was half cyborg. But, knowing the scope of the late Emperor's planning, I can only assume that young Skywalker was destined to be one of the Emperor's Hands —until he gained the same knowledge and power as Darth Vader himself. And then the son would eliminate the father. The Emperor would have received a more capable servant.

— And when Vader and Skywalker turned against him, Palpatine was able to kill only Vader, as he was the weakest because of his prosthetics and armor,— Jade thought. and he instructed me to eliminate his son.

— As far as I know, you should have eliminated Skywalker back in Jabba the Hutt's palace, when the rebels were rescuing Captain Solo. But you failed,— Jade shot me a look full of hatred. — It is curious that the Emperor, understanding the degree of danger of Skywalker, sent only one of his Hands on this mission, while he could have used all the resources...

This time she recovered from the shock of what she heard enough to respond:

—I was the only Emperor's Hand!

—Do you know this for sure? — I smiled sardonically. —Or do you prefer to indulge yourself with these hopes?

Jade pursed her lips, looking at me with such a destroying gaze that I wanted to shiver willy-nilly. But can't. Reputation obliges. Give some slack — just slack, and not demonstrate to her that «frankness is just another exotic game of Thrawn's with the brains of his interlocutors» and the farce will be revealed.

—You're lying,— she said in an unsteady voice.

—I keep my word and am frank with you, Mara Jade,— he looked at her with condescending, slightly indifferent pity. —There is no need to lie to you — it will become known someday. And you will not forgive me for such treatment of your person. I intend to enlist your support. No lies. The Emperor told you that you are exceptional because you can hear his voice on the other side of the galaxy. But you were never the only Hand. Most susceptible to his ability to transmit orders over vast distances — yes, for sure. That is why he placed his last order in you — to destroy Skywalker. The last act of revenge, in which the Emperor was quite inventive. Could you tell me how you managed to suppress his mental message within yourself for more than five years?

—I did everything to forget that I can feel the Force,— she said quietly. Her gaze faded. The rage is gone. Now in front of me stood not a predator ready to attack, confident in her exclusivity and superiority, but a woman beaten by life, who had just been made to understand that even the best years of her life were filled with lies. Frank and undisguised. — I stopped using it, stopped thinking about his will and the voice died down, the visions disappeared. But after I was taken away from Myrkr... They returned. With renewed vigor, just as demanding, just as unprincipled...

— In light of the above, have you ever thought that the Emperor's message is not just a cry for help, not just an order, but a certain way of programming you to perform a specific task? —I asked. I knew the answer for a long time, but the effect will be much better if she comes to this herself.

Jade was in no hurry to answer, thinking about what she had said. It is unlikely that she was taught many Force abilities, but she has some idea about it. And the more doubts settle in this red head, the easier it will be for her to decide to come over to my side.

—The Emperor had exceptional capabilities,— she said uncertainly. —I... don't undertake to judge what I don't understand...

—But I'm taking the risk of entering a hitherto unfamiliar field,— Jade narrowed her eyes. — In my circle there is a very talented, but mentally unstable ally. A Dark Jedi named Joruus C'baoth.

—The Emperor and Vader killed all the Jedi,— the young woman noted uncertainly.

—Is that so? — I was feignedly surprised. —I remember one of them, Obi-Wan Kenobi managed to live nineteen years after Operation Knightfall. And was even discovered by Luke Skywalker. Kenobi was Darth Vader's teacher when he was a Jedi. Vader killed him aboard the Death Star after the destruction of Alderaan. This fact alone proves that the methods of the Emperor and Vader were not effective. Where one Jedi survived, another could be found. And perhaps more. The Inquisitorium was founded from former Jedi. Vader had Force-sensitive students. But in this case, these conclusions do not apply to my ally. He's a clone.

—Jedi cannot be cloned,— Jade said. —The Emperor said this...

—We first met you at the opening of a new wing at the Imperial Palace,— I shamelessly exploited what I remembered from books on the Expanded Universe of a galaxy far, far away, passing it off as Thrawn's memories. —The Emperor introduced you to me as one of his favorite dancers. And only at the secret ceremony, which we have already mentioned, did he tell you who you really are. But did he tell you how our first acquaintance with him took place?

—Voss Park found you on one of the planets in the Unknown Regions,— she said. and delivered it to Palpatine. Who was so impressed with your skills that he allowed you to serve...

—Yes, this was our first meeting,— I confirmed. —But the acquaintance happened long before this moment. Some time before the start of the Clone Wars. Have you ever heard of the Outbound Flight Project?

Jade nodded affirmatively:

— An expedition that was supposed to go beyond the known galaxy,— she said. —But they disappeared...

—They were destroyed,— I said calmly. —By me.

Jade's gaze filled with disbelief.

—But how...

—The Unknown Regions are called that only because the inhabitants of this part of the galaxy have never been there,— I said. —In fact, thousands of species live there, there are states. I come from one of them. Chiss domination. I was the commander of a naval unit that discovered and destroyed a detachment of ships that someone under the name Darth Sidious sent to destroy the Outbound Flight. This unit was commanded by Kinman Doriana.

—Сounselor to Palpatine,— Jade's voice sounded interested.

— Doriana connected me with Darth Sidious, under whose guise Palpatine was hiding before the destruction of the Old Republic. They told me about the danger of Outbound Flight and the Jedi on board. I entered into an agreement with them. I disarmed the Long Range Flight and had no intention of destroying it, deciding to force them to turn back. But the leader of the expedition did not want to heed the voice of reason. This was the real Jorus C'baoth. Using the Force, he began to strangle me, as Darth Vader had done with the guilty in his time. Seeing this, Dorian's Kinman activated the weapon I had developed and the Outbound Flight turned into a collective grave. And I received an offer from Palpatine to enter his service. It was not difficult to get me expelled from my homeland. And only after that Vos Park found me. So, my current ally is a clone. But you should not disclose this information.

—But... what about... cloning,— Mara Jade couldn't find anything to say.

—The clone is a madman,— I continued. —Perhaps it was intended that way, perhaps these are side effects, but the fact remains a fact. C'baoth considers himself the last Jedi in the galaxy, and therefore is looking for students.

—I wouldn't want to be one of them,— the girl shuddered. —But cloning was prohibited after the Clone Wars!

—Do you really think that the Emperor cared about prohibitions? — I was sincerely surprised. The girl lowered her gaze slightly. —You were in his treasury,— she looked at me in surprise. — Mount Tantiss on the planet Wayland. There are a great many Palpatine trophies there. Including tools for creating clones. A replica of the real C'baoth was created there, and was apparently left to guard this warehouse full of beautiful works of art and technological advances.

—I haven't been to Wayland as often as you think,— Jade shook her head. —If everything were as you say, then the Emperor would certainly use the resources of his treasury to defeat the rebels.

—Do you think he would take advantage of any opportunity to destroy his enemies? — I clarified with a slight mockery on my lips. All I need to shut the mousetrap is her correct reaction to my ridicule. After all, she still does not believe that the Emperor, the same one who found her, trained her, named her as his Hand, revealed to her the secrets of the Force so that she could serve as a conductor of his will, the one whom she almost idolized, lied looking into her eyes year after year.

—Yes,— she said firmly. —I don't know what game you're playing, Thrawn, but lying doesn't suit you. Apparently the Unknown Regions have changed you beyond recognition.

—Yes, the Unknown Regions change the intelligent,— I agreed, to let her feel a tinge of triumph. —But maybe you should find Luke Skywalker and ask him who really threw the Emperor into the ventilation shaft?

The eyebrows on his beautiful face frowned. Doubts began to gnaw at the girl.

—What are you talking about? she asked. —The Emperor showed me how Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker fought with lightsabers, and then turned their weapons against him. I saw the Emperor burn Vader's Forces with lightning, like Skywalker...

She stopped short, obviously realizing that I was not just watching her with an indifferent gaze.

—Sure? —I clarified.

—Yes,— she said, not too firmly.

—But I still don't agree with you,— I said. — My experience with C'baoth's clone allows me to conclude that followers of the Dark Side of the Force are able to manipulate the minds of their henchmen. They use any means to achieve their goals. Including simple deception. It was not Luke Skywalker who killed the Emperor, but Darth Vader. The dark lord of the Sith stood next to the Emperor at the very moment when Palpatine tried to kill Skywalker with lightning. Because he fought Vader, but did not kill him, so that, as I understand it, he would not become the same as the Emperor's student himself. Based on the information I know about Darth Vader, he would not allow anyone to kill his child. Therefore, it was Vader who lifted Palpatine, interrupting his attack, and threw him into the mine.

—This... can't be,— Jade said absently. —He wouldn't lie... Not to me...

—How were you different from the rest? — I shrugged. — Maybe better than the ancient Jedi Arden Lyn, whom the Emperor won over to his side and promised to resurrect her loved one who died more than twenty thousand years ago?

—Where did you get this information? —The tension in Jade's voice was clear.

—When the deception was revealed, this woman entered into an alliance with the rebel Grand Admiral Demetrius Zaarin,— I answered, knowing full well that Lin's story was the very key that could unlock all of Jade's doubts. —You remember for what merit Palpatine gave me the opportunity to become one of the twelve grand admirals?

—Effective destruction of Zaarin's rebellion,— Mara Jade said quietly.

— And it was entrusted to me because of the absolute effectiveness of my actions,— I continued to abuse the data inaccessible to her. — Palpatine understood perfectly well how loyal I was to him, because in some way we both sought to protect the galaxy from a huge threat. And he gave me a chance to prove to the entire Empire that even an exotic can be an excellent commander. After all, I would not ask questions — I would carry out the order in the same way as before. Palpatine did not take into account only one thing — I wondered about the reasons for Zaarin's betrayal. Understanding the enemy is the key to victory. Zaarin was an excellent engineer and gave much to the Empire. His disappointment in the Emperor's policies made him an enemy. And the destruction of dissent could stop the negative consequences caused by the rebellion. In the process of investigating Zaarin's betrayal, I learned about the existence of the Emperor's Hands. But not about you —our acquaintance took place later. About Arden Lyn and her story, half-truths are not lies. In fact, this is how I learned about the existence of the Emperor's Hands —f irst I started reading the Thrawn Trilogy, then I tried to find out who these "Hands" were. And the direct connection between Arden Lyn and Zaarin allowed me to plunge into the story of the rebellious Grand Admiral. And even if I distort the facts somewhat, I did not promise her the truth —only the absence of lies. —Then this fact did not seem significant to me as Emperor, Palpatine could afford a lot and it was not for me to condemn him. And after awarding me the rank of Grand Admiral, Palpatine decided to move me away —to where the political intrigues of the other Grand Admirals supposedly could not reach me. In particular Rufaan Tigellinus. But the truth is different — Palpatine knew or guessed what became known to me. And he took all possible steps to both preserve a valuable resource — me, and not allow me to repeat the fate of Zaarin, if I knew more.

—I can't believe it,— Mara Jade admitted, swallowing. —He... he never lied...

—You think so? —How many times am I repeating this question? —I have something for you.

I took out an information chip from my breast pocket and handed it to the girl. Jade slowly, as if her legs wouldn't obey her, walked over and accepted the device.

—What's here? —she asked hoarsely.

—Names,— I answered. aralina Silk, Jeng Droga, Jallar Gollin, Shira Elan Colla Brin, better known as Lumiya, Maarek Stele, Roganda Ismaren, Sa Cuis, Sarcev Quest, Vess Kogo.

—Who are they? —The redhead frowned.

—Emperor's Hands,— I answered simply. The girl's eyes widened. at least those whom he bothered to add to the information base on Wayland. I will provide you with equipment to verify the authenticity of these files.

The girl tightly grasped the device in her hand, as if it were the greatest treasure.

—Did they all receive orders to kill Skywalker? —she asked, retreating to the place where she had been standing before.

—I don't know this for certain,— I didn't go too far, diluting the truth with my own conclusions. —However, Shira Brin tried to kill Skywalker before you. But it also ended in failure for her. Roganda Ismaren was nothing more than a prominent woman who was used by the Emperor as a gift for his entourage, and thus she received information that she reported to Palpatine. Sarcev Quest is currently taking steps to strengthen its power over the Imperial Ruling Council, intending to seize power over the remnants of the Empire.

—I heard some of these names, but I didn't know... that they... were also Hands,— the girl was clearly trying to cope with her own confusion.

—Palpatine hid the fact of the presence of other Hands from you because he played on your feelings of gratitude and self-deception of exceptionalism,— I continued to press on the sore spot. —He knew full well that there was unlikely to be similar loyalty among the other Hands, and therefore he used you to eliminate Luke Skywalker.

—What can say that he still believed me more than the others,— she said unexpectedly stubbornly.

— And yet you didn't even try to kill Skywalker,— I reminded him. —Five long years...

The girl looked at me with unprecedented anger.

—However, is it important how you treated Palpatine? — I asked a rhetorical question. — The more pressing question is how he treated you.

The conversation didn't go at all as I had planned. Mara Jade demonstrated an enviable stubbornness, which began to irritate her a little. If she really is that loyal to him, then she's more trouble than she's worth. It didn't take long to press the panic button and let Rukh and the stormtroopers in through the secret door behind me. But you can still try to recruit her. It's just a pity that you'll have to play with trump cards.

—I still don't believe you, Thrawn,— she shook her head.

—It's up to you,— he shrugged indifferently. —In the end, you can always take a ship and go to the Deep Core to the planet Byss and ask everything yourself. However, you can't. As I. We weren't invited there. We are assigned completely different roles.

—What do you mean? — How many times has she frowned during our conversation? But what can't be taken away from her – even in anger she is beautiful.

—The fact that Emperor Palpatine is using you, me and a huge number of sentients throughout the galaxy so that we do all the dirty work for him and remove the most serious obstacles from the path like Luke Skywalker and strengthening the power of the New Republic,— I said with ostentatious indifference. Seeing that she continued to glare at me with a puzzled look, he added with a grin:

-You still don't understand? Emperor Palpatine is not dead. He was reborn in the body of a clone on the planet Byss and is gathering an army to destroy any dissent in the bud. Once and for all.

***

Mara felt her throat constrict.

Palpatine is alive?! But how is this possible?!

—Thrawn,— she rasped. —Don't joke like that. You are treading on very thin ice. I don't even need the Force to beat the crap out of you. If this is your thing again...

The Grand Admiral looked at her, tilting his head to the side. As if he was trying to understand from a different angle whether she was a fool.

They glared at each other. And Mara was the first to look away, unable to withstand the contrast: the Grand Admiral sitting in a chair that was like two peas in a pod to the one in which Palpatine sat in her visions...

The light blue skin of Thrawn's face and bare arms contrasted sharply with his snow-white uniform, the unbearable shimmer of his aurodium shoulder straps, his blue-black hair and the scarlet fire of his meticulous eyes.

—I don't know what kind of game you're playing, Thrawn, but this is too much even for you,— she muttered, shaking her head and turning her back to the Grand Admiral. Clutching the data chip in her hand, she walked away, feeling like she was leaving the suppression zone of the Ysalamiri Force. It's not for nothing that Thrawn settled down with the Hutt lizard! He does everything so that even with her meager strength she cannot understand whether he is telling the truth or blatantly lying. — I don't remember you being cruel. A tough commander, yes, but it's so easy to lie to my face...

— As I promised, I'm speaking to you frankly,— Thrawn's voice is rich in overtones and so attractive that the girl did not immediately realize that she was paying attention to him again. Although I was just about to get the hell out. She realized that she was taking a step forward when it was already too late.

"You will kill Luke Skywalker"...

Mara shuddered all over. The voice that sounded in her head could belong to only one living being in the entire universe. She heard this voice so often that she could not confuse it with any other.

Thrawn's image seemed to dissolve. Now in front of her on the throne, in the darkened compartment of the second Death Star, sat the Emperor. He looked at her from under his lowered hood, his piercing, rage-filled eyes burning with yellow fire, penetrating to the very core of her consciousness. She saw how dry old fingers dug into the armrests of the chair, how the black fabric of his cape froze around the figure, like concentrated darkness...

She came to her senses only when she felt a sudden chill run through her body. She blinked and the vision disappeared. But in front of her stood the Grand Admiral, holding Ysalamiri in his hands. Some five or six meters away, but he stood, rising from the throne, descending the steps, covering the distance necessary for her to fall within the sphere of action of the lizard's natural ability...

—Vision again? —he asked. And his voice no longer seemed so cold. On the contrary, there were notes of... concern? No, it can not be. From anyone, but not from Thrawn. This is a cold, calculating killing machine in the guise of a blue-skinned humanoid. She knows no sympathy, no pity... Palpatine showed more attention to her than Thrawn to anyone. No, she just imagined it.

—It's okay,— she muttered through her teeth. The Grand Admiral glanced at her with an indifferent glance, turned and slowly walked back. Mara, not wanting to experience a vision for the third time since leaving Myrkr, took several cautious steps, freezing at the foot of the steps. —I want to know if you are telling the truth about the Emperor possibly being alive.

—He's alive,— Thrawn said calmly. — Accumulating power on the planet Byss in the Deep Core, as I said.

—Then why aren't you near him? — in the back of her mind the thought appeared that she had once heard something about Bisse. But she couldn't remember what exactly. But before she had perfect memory.

—For the same reason that you remained in the dark these five and a half years,— he said, stroking the lizard's belly. —I am as much a resource in the Emperor's plan as you and everyone else to whom his emissaries did not come.

—How do I know that you are telling the truth? she asked.

—No one is going to convince you of something you don't want to accept,— Thrawn shrugged. —I'll just tell you what I know, share the conclusions and observations that I had during my return from the Unknown Regions, and you can draw your own conclusions.

—Thanks for the permission,— Jade said sarcastically. Although she understood perfectly well that Thrawn could not be penetrated by these verbal exercises.

—Until the discovery of the Emperor's treasury in Mount Tantiss, I only knew that there were only two Hands —you and Arden Lyn,— he said. — The latter supposedly died during the campaign against Zaarin, you disappeared. My agents were looking for any information about you, and, as you can see, they found it. I offer to come under my direct command, but the final choice is yours. The only one. Everything is decided here and now —there will be no more proposals.

—Tell me about Palpatine,— she demanded, barely containing the rage raging within her. If he deceived her...

—Don't you dare dictate terms to me,— Thrawn said quietly. And his «fatherly» tone almost made her heart burst out of her chest. —Even in private, we are in different weight categories.

—Exactly,— Jade continued to escalate the situation. —I was his Hand. I spoke to him, and you, grand admirals, could only listen.

—And? Thrawn's right eyebrow raised. —I understand that your memory is failing you due to overwhelming emotions, but there are lines that crossing... is fraught. No matter what mythical importance you please, it is a thing of the past.

Mara glared at him with fury.

In response, Thrawn ignored her and just shrugged.

Which infuriated her even more.

— Who is your source of information? —she said demandingly.

—If you really expect me to reveal it to you, then it's now clear why Palpatine left behind him a woman unable to put aside her fantasies and living in the illusions of the past to deal with Skywalker,— he said, accompanying his words with a look , full of dismissive disappointment.

Mara felt as if she had been doused with ice water.

How stupid! To come here, appear by invitation and try to demand something, being essentially... nobody.

If any of what he said was true, if in fact the Emperor lied to her, used her to get rid of Skywalker, and even was reborn, not caring about her existence... They actually wiped their feet on her. And Thrawn just showed that he would throw her out of here by the scruff of the neck. Because now it is nothing more than ballast.

—I... apologize for my vehemence,— she said quietly, trying not to look at Thrawn, who was paying attention to stroking the ysalamiri. Oh, with what pleasure she would get away from this red creature with a tail. But she was afraid that the vision might overtake her again.

—For the first and last time, I will forgive you, Mara Jade,— Thrawn didn't even bother to look at her. Instead, he paid more attention to stroking the lizard's belly. —If you have calmed your inner demons and are ready to continue the dialogue, then we can begin. If not, tell me where to take you, and the ship will be provided to you.

—Thank you,— the girl swallowed with difficulty the lump that had risen in her throat. —I'll probably be late. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

She felt the chip in her hand begin to cut into her skin. A little more force and the device will shatter into fragments.

— After discovering the Emperor's treasury, I encountered a clone of the Jedi,— Thrawn continued his story as if nothing had happened. —He firmly believes that he flew to Wayland, fought with the Guardian of the Mountain and defeated him. Can you remember anyone who guarded the Emperor's treasury?

—There was an automatic protection system,— Jade scratched her memory. and the locals are so poorly developed that they won't even be able to penetrate the main gate in the next couple of centuries.

Thrawn nodded silently, obviously in tune with his thoughts.

—There are many interesting things in the Emperor's treasury,— he said. —However, a quick inspection of the information from his library showed that some of the data had been destroyed. C'baoth explained that during the time that passed from the moment he killed the Guardian until my arrival, others flew to Wayland who wanted to enlist the help of the dark Jedi. However, not only this —they were more interested in the treasury. C'baoth killed everyone —with the Emperor's favorite method, lightning. Interesting, isn't it?

—What did these intelligent ones inside the mountain need? —Jade asked.

—They were cleaning out the Emperor's archives,— Thrawn explained. — A huge amount of data is either damaged or specially edited so that anyone who discovers it will have no idea what power certain ships have. Which, for the most part, disappeared from the vision of not only the Empire, but also the New Republic. Cross-searches indicate that these were mainly super star destroyers of the Eclipse, Sovereign, Vengeance, Bellator type, and the latest escort starships.

—How does this relate to your statement that Palpatine is alive? — Mara asked impatiently. Her inner world was now torn in two opposite directions. In one, she understood that Thrawn could simply mislead her. For him, deceiving the enemy is nothing more than a tactical or strategic ploy. He's a pro at these kinds of tricks. And if he tells her something, he understands —even if not immediately, but this information can be verified. About the duel on board the second Death Star, about the erasure of data in the Emperor's secret treasury, about the presence of other Hands, about the Emperor's mental message... She can find out all this without any problems. All you have to do is nod your head, declare your loyalty to Thrawn, and he will allow her into business. Maybe not right away, but he will begin to trust her. And having received some kind of power, she will be able to achieve more than simply refusing and leaving.

On the other hand... She assumed that she knew Thrawn quite well. And he is quite aware of her skills. He decided to play on something that had been inaccessible to her for a long time. On frankness.

And the worst thing is that the more she believed in the first scenario, the more she became convinced that the second one looked most optimal. Thrawn studies his enemy so thoroughly and so non-trivially that he is able to literally predict his further movements. She had wondered many times: could he be Force-sensitive? Just well camouflaged... But over many years of serving the Empire, I have never found evidence of this. Just like the Emperor himself. And it was hardly possible to deceive him for such a long time... Probably.

according to my information, after the death of Palpatine's body on board the second Death Star, only his physical embodiment died. I am not familiar with the abilities of the Jedi or the Sith, but looking at C'baoth, I am sure that death can still be cheated. The Emperor, and no one else, pulled a trick with the resurrection of C'baoth, who was his adviser during the time of the Old Republic. Used cloning technology possibly long before it was openly used to produce soldiers during the Clone Wars. Perhaps they helped him in this, but knowing his character, I am sure that these were only the most trusted ones from his circle. Not servants allies. How exactly he was able to resurrect C'baoth, who died long before today, what knowledge he used for this —I do not know. But logical analysis shows that in fact, the resurrection of the dark Jedi is nothing more than a rehearsal for the triumphant return of the Emperor himself.

—This is just your speculation,— Mara Jade snorted. Somehow Thrawn is not particularly convincing. Because I'm not sure, or... She felt a thin stream of cold sweat running down her back, between her shoulder blades. On the contrary, I'm sure. He's just playing with her. It makes you relax so that you can suddenly shock with a piece of information with such arguments that it will be impossible to challenge.

—Indulge yourself, Mara Jade,— Thrawn shrugged. —I am sure that such a great and powerful being as the Emperor will never, ever accept defeat. He excelled at scheming and surrounding his enemies and allies with a web of lies and half-truths to force them to act as he wanted.

—But not pretending to be dead,— she snorted. Thrawn's arguments are becoming more and more like speculation.

—Why is this method worse than others? — The Grand Admiral looked at her in surprise. — After all the conspiracies, intrigues, behind-the-scenes games at the palace, imaginary allies and the betrayal of one's own student, why not go into the shadows, having the resurrection technology worked out on C'baoth? Slowly and carefully accumulate strength, calling upon those military leaders who seem reliable to him? Entire fleets disappeared from the face of the galaxy without the slightest mention of where they were or what their fate was. Judge for yourself. You imagine yourself to be the only one of the Emperor's Hands. Do you think that only with you he was close enough in matters of his will. So much so that it was you who was entrusted with the murder of Luke Skywalker in secret from Vader. Why?

—If I think in your terms, because I wasn't sure that Vader wouldn't betray him at the most crucial moment,— Jade said after thinking. She said it without fully believing what she said. Although she clearly understood that... it was true. It's difficult to explain why she thought this way. But she remembered very well that after Vader and his entire fleet lost Skywalker on Bespin, the Emperor... was not happy, to put it mildly. So why doesn't he just play it safe and eliminate Skywalker before everything goes wrong? Moreover, in Jabba's territory... But...

Mara felt she had found the answer.

—You understand,— Thrawn stated. — Palpatine, a master of intrigue and multi-move combinations, played several games at once. In one, he sends Vader after his son. Kill or deliver for submission. Any option would suit him. The Dark Lord fails the mission on Hoth. And at the same time he knows that Skywalker is his son. Considering how deeply Palpatine was mired in his own intrigues, and his surroundings matched him, it is logical to assume that Darth Vader is no longer as loyal as before. After all, he was formerly a Jedi. I am not strong in the history of the Order, but several cases of redemption are guaranteed to have taken place: fallen Jedi once again returned to the fold of their teachings. And if so, then Vader no longer has faith. He is no longer a student, no longer the heir to the throne —he is a hypothetical threat. That's why Palpatine sends you to Tatooine. Just in time for the rebel operation to free Han Solo. And you have one task — to kill Skywalker. I don't know the details,— Thrawn looked at her, almost pinning her to the floor with his gaze. — Don't know yet. But I am sure that everything should have looked exactly as if Jabba had dealt with Skywalker. Imagine what the Sith Lord would have done when he learned that the king of the underworld had executed his child?

—If Vader really began to deviate from the path of the Sith, showing feelings for his son, then he would go through the Outer Rim with a firestorm,— Mara knew very well the difficult character of the Sith Lord.

— Add here also the information that criminals quite often helped the Rebel Alliance, and their numerous bases were located at that time, including in the Outer Rim,— Thrawn continued her thought. Mara mentally shuddered —she had thought about it herself. If so, then... This is in the spirit of the Emperor.

—In the same case, if Darth Vader remained faithful to the Emperor and the appearance of his son meant nothing to him, then with your hands Palpatine simply got rid of a potential threat in the person of young Skywalker,— said Thrawn. — Darth Vader is competent enough for the assignments that Palpatine gave him. And if the candidate in his place does not want to take the side of the Emperor, then why change Vader himself?

—But the Emperor forced Vader to bring Skywalker to him,— Mara Jade said. — Which of the two versions you proposed does this event fall under?

—Under the third,— Thrawn said calmly. —You failed on Tatooine. And he had to change his plans. By then, he already had a plan to lure the Rebel Alliance to Endor for the final battle. The second Death Star was combat-ready and could easily kill the rebel fleet. The Emperor gathered several grand admirals, trusted Сounselors, on board her. He brought the fleet, set a trap in which nothing could go wrong. But even so, he had insurance.

— According to you, he forced Skywalker to fight Vader,— the longer Mara listened to Thrawn, the more she realized that the Grand Admiral knew the Emperor very well. And what he said... could have happened in reality. But she needed to see this for herself.

—Since you failed, he took matters into his own hands,— Thrawn shrugged. —If Skywalker had killed his father, he would have become his replacement at the Emperor's side. If not, then Palpatine would have gotten rid of the Jedi. And even Vader's betrayal was part of the Emperor's plan, but, I think, as the most unrealistic of the options.

«Which was realized» Mara mentally completed the logical chain.

—But if, according to you, the Emperor has been reborn, then why did you order me to kill Skywalker? she asked. —He could do it himself.

— How long do you think it takes to create a cloned body? — Thrawn asked.

—It took ten years to grow them on Kamino,— she quickly found the answer in her memory.

—That's true,— the Grand Admiral nodded barely noticeably. and we will return to them someday. But FYI, Kaminoan cloning technology is not the only one. In Mount Tantiss you saw a whole cave full of cloning equipment. This is Spaarti technology that allows the creation of a fully combat-ready clone in one standard year. Didn't the Emperor tell you about this?

Mara gritted her teeth barely audibly.

—No,— she answered. —So you use Spaarti cloning cylinders?

Thrawn looked at her for a moment. Not as usual — with indifference. And with interest. What happens to a scientist studying a hitherto unknown species.

—Yes,— he answered. Mara felt her mouth go dry. Thrawn had just told her bluntly that he had something at his disposal that could turn the tide of the war between the Empire and the rebels... And he told her so simply, as if it was not a secret at all. He didn't even try to keep silent, citing the fact that the disclosure of this information could somehow affect his plans... Does he really trust her that much!? Or... Everything inside her grew cold.

If Thrawn just revealed the secret of the cloning cylinders to her like that, then... Perhaps he has something more terrible at his disposal than the technology of creating copies of sentient beings?

Since the cloning cylinders are capable of producing copies in a standard year, and Thrawn has been involved in the affairs of the Empire for a year already... it means he either already has, or is about to have, an army of clones! So that's what he needs ships for! He does not need long training of personnel — he could make so many clones of himself that it would be enough to staff an entire fleet. Therefore, on the Ysalamiri ships —so that no one could understand that under the same faceless helmets of stormtroopers there could be the same person! And this was done not in order to resist her —but to control that same dark Jedi! Whose power is probably enormous, since he is a product of Palpatine's activities.

— And now, Mara Jade,— Thrawn said in an insinuating voice, —think, if Palpatine kept such riches in Mount Tantiss, then what is he hiding on Byss, where he didn't take you?

The girl felt that she was losing touch with reality. If you think for a minute that Thrawn is right, and everything that is happening here is just part of Palpatine's plan... If he really is alive... If he really singled her out from the other Hands... Why didn't he called her to him?!

— Are you wondering about the reasons for your being here and not on Byss? —It was as if Thrawn had torn the question out of her head. Mara didn't bother to answer. Yes, he didn't need it.

—You're not there either,— Jade said.

—Yes, we have already touched on this topic,— the Grand Admiral reminded. — You and I are a resource. Like all those who remained in the galaxy and were not recalled to the Deep Core. Our task is to distract the attention of the New Republic, not to allow it to gain strength that could complicate Palpatine's return and put up serious resistance. A destabilizing factor, nothing more. We are expendable, ideological followers of all the best that the Empire has. At least there were. That is what the calculation was made —that you, I, and other Imperials, who have preserved the ideals and faith in the best that the Empire gave to the galaxy, will not calm down and will continue the war. I believe that this is the reason why the entire contents of Mount Thantiss were abandoned as a necessary means of inflicting damage on the enemy. The maximum possible. Byss and the Deep Core planets, as I understand it, have the potential for military power much greater than Mount Tantiss. Therefore, as already mentioned, we are assigned the role of just active interference. Whether we die or survive during the period of weakening of the New Republic is not important in fact —the main thing is to inflict damage that the bureaucratic apparatus of the New Republic will not be able to cope with in a short time, and therefore, after the attacks, the enemy will be maximally weakened and will offer minimal resistance. His ships will need repairs, his experienced fighters will die in these battles, and his recruits will not be able to pose the same threat. And after us, the reborn Palpatine will come and restore his power. But his emissaries are already operating throughout the galaxy, pulling all the necessary resources to him. As far as I know, Grand Moff Ardus Kaine has already been recruited by Palpatine's emissaries from Byss. As you may have noticed, the Pentastar Alignment does not have any active companies. Meanwhile, it has enormous mobilization and military resources. Imperial Space also went on the defensive. Like the Ciutric Hegemony, but I have no information about the connection between Prince-Admiral Delak Krennel and the Emperor. But there is information that he has prisoners from Lusankya, who were previously held by Isanne Isard. As far as I remember, you knew her?

— And not in the best way,— Mara narrowed her eyes. as the director of Imperial Intelligence, she is used to knowing everything about everyone. And she couldn't find a single shred of information about me, which infuriated her. Once she even organized a hunt for me, interrogated me, but achieved nothing. I ran away.

—You're very lucky,— Thrawn remarked. —Or you simply turned out to be better than the Emperor's lover could have imagined.

Mara raised her roles in surprise.

—You...

—... don't intend to discuss the Emperor's personal life,— Thrawn said indifferently. —It is enough that you escaped the fate prepared for you by Isanne Isard. The same Countess Irene Riad was not so lucky. And as for confirming their relationship... Have you ever wondered why Palpatine gave the first two superstar destroyers of the Executor project to his student and director of Imperial Intelligence, Ysanna Isard? The key point in this issue is precisely the «first» super-destroyer.

The girl winced with displeasure and involuntarily shuddered. No, she hadn't thought about it until now. I didn't even think about it. During her lifetime, Palpatine did not allow her to intersect closely with the Snow Queen. It's unlikely that he thought that they could become friends or something like that, but... He carefully guarded his secrets. He was a master at this.

«Red Star» — is an aristocrat and ace pilot who, at her own expense, formed a flight unit, at the end of her life, staffed with very expensive, but no less effective TIE defenders. And Isanne Isard was accused of treason. For which she was executed by the pilots of Baron Soontir Fel. The story is dirty, but it only confirmed a fact long known throughout the Empire —crossing the path of the Snow Queen, as Isanne Isard was called, means death. Even if you are just doing your duty.

—So why do you continue to fight alone? —Mara clarified. —From your words, I realized that you only have illusory support for the Empire. If Delak Krennel is not associated with the Emperor, which for some reason you do not want to join, then he can become your ally.

—I don't want to waste my time fighting Isanne Isard,— she was dumbfounded for the umpteenth time during this conversation. —Oh, you're surprised. Did you think she died on Thyferra?

—The rebels trumpeted this all over the HoloNet,— Mara Jade whispered, feeling the salty taste of blood. Looks like she bit her lip. If you just imagine for a moment that Isard is alive...

— According to my information, Krennel only has a clone of Isard at hand,— Thrawn stated calmly. —Her task is only to monitor the prisoners. And at the right moment for the real Snow Queen —to draw the attention of the New Republic away from her goal.

— And what is its purpose? —Mara Jade asked, very much hoping that Thrawn would not say her own name.

—Think about it,— Thrawn suggested. — The Snow Queen received something significant from the hands of Palpatine, a symbol of her power, where she drove the intelligent ones crazy, turning them into living weapons. And she lost it. And now she is terrified, because she knows what Palpatine will do to her upon his return if she does not return...

—Lusankya,— Jade said. — Ysanne wants her own Super Star Destroyer back.

— And present it as a gift to the revived Palpatine,— Thrawn confirmed.

— And I thought that you obeyed the Emperor because you had some common goals,— Mara narrowed her eyes, trying to catch the Grand Admiral at his word.

—They remained,— Thrawn said somehow wearily. — Only Palpatine, as it turns out, cared less about confronting the Far Outsiders than about momentary power over the galaxy.

But this is completely new information. Mara had never even heard of anything like that around Palpatine.

—What are you talking about? she asked.

— About a race of extragalactic invaders, known to my people as Far Outsidersr,— Thrawn's gaze seemed to be directed at her, but as if he was looking through the former Emperor's Hand. — Their technologies are based on organics, or something similar to it. They have lost their galaxy and now intend to take over ours. This race worships cruel and far from our understanding gods, and they put violence at the forefront of life. Violence, ritual sacrifice, slavery or death for us all.

—Say it as if you've already encountered them,— said Mara Jade.

—My people had contact with them,— Thrawn replied, his gaze regaining meaning. —Meeting them won't bring us anything good.

—Is that why you decided to serve Palpatine? —she decided to clarify.

—Yes,— Thrawn agreed. —In order to protect their relatives. The known part of the galaxy was of little interest to me at that time. But having studied the Empire from the inside, I understand that it will become useful, and perhaps the only tool that will allow us to cope with this enemy with minimal casualties among the population of the galaxy. In the time we have left—ten to fifteen years—I hope to gather the remaining might of the Empire into a single fist. To form the best version of the Empire, uniting those peoples who wish it. And protect them. As well as your homeland.

—Thrawn is an altruist,— Mara grimaced. —It's hard to believe in this.

—You are free to believe whatever you want, Mara Jade,— Thrawn said. as promised, I was frank with you.

—But they didn't even say a word about the reasons for their reluctance to submit to Palpatine again,— she noted. Somehow it doesn't even make sense to ask the Grand Admiral questions that are not related to the affairs of the Empire and to her personally. —Of course, if he is actually alive. But I still doubt this —you have not provided a single argument, not a single confirmation.

—I promised you frankness, Mara Jade,— Thrawn reminded. —But I didn't promise that I would provide evidence of my words.

—Well, yes, this will interfere with your plans,— the red-haired woman grinned playfully. She has no doubt —Thrawn is playing a double, and possibly triple, game. With her, with her subordinates. With everyone. As always. Maybe everything new that she learned from him was true. But it is presented without a fraction of the facts. Only on the basis of Thrawn's authority, which refers to his phenomenal talent for finding the right answers to questions. Thrawn could decipher an enemy's plans and lay a trap for them simply by studying artefacts, or by scraping information, always accurately assessing the enemy's reaction and motives.

—Including,— Thrawn answered calmly. —I was honest with you, Mara Jade. I won't hide it —I need you. As an ally who shares my goals. Someone you can trust. And Palpatine... I don't know what happened to him after his resurrection. But I am sure that he did not use Kamino technology at all. Most likely, his clone or clones were created using Spaarti technology with an admixture of Sith metaphysics. And I already have the opportunity to observe what came of it —Joruus C'baoth. With all due respect to Palpatine, I do not intend to serve a madman who will have a weapon in his hands that can instantly destroy the galaxy or turn it into a place for settling blood scores. History shows that the Jedi and Sith destroy each other with enviable regularity as soon as they are in power. And the galaxy descends into the chaos of war, indelibly changing in the process. To take the side of the insane Palpatine means to take part in genocides and total purges. With the help of C'baoth, I had already confirmed the fact that the Emperor, hiding his sensitivity to the Force from most of his circle, influenced his army and navy to make them more effective. Or —he checked whether he could directly control his armed forces, the population of planets, systems, sectors, the galaxy... Perhaps earlier I would have supported him, although we more than once disagreed regarding the appropriateness of certain military techniques. I will not serve a madman. And I won't let him rule the galaxy. I'm sure he understands this —that's why I'm here and not on Bisse. I also won't play the role of a buffer shield waiting for a handout for good work. I agreed to serve a wise and respected politician, with a sharp mind and enviable foresight. But what I see now and what I assume will happen in a year and a half, when he gains enough power to settle scores with his enemies, is completely at odds with my goals.

—What kind? — the girl grimaced. —Wait and prepare for the arrival of very strange and vile people, even according to the description of reasonable ones? Or perhaps one can believe that the most effective of the grand admirals suddenly decided that it was he who would build the «correct Empire»? Thrawn, I thought better of you. Maybe you are a brilliant commander, maybe you are capable of defeating the New Republic, maybe you... Yes, whatever. But you are not a politician, and you certainly don't know how to recruit smart people. Five years ago I would have followed you after all these stories about the resurrection of Palpatine, about how he deceived me, about the invasion and your noble impulses, but now... I don't know what game you are playing. But I am sure that it is not without reason that you are trying to disorganize me and mix up the facts, not allowing you to build a logical chain that smoothly flows from one to another. I am familiar with this technique —it is textbook, I must say. I myself have used this more than once in my work. But I expected more from you...

—Expected what? — A grin appeared on Thrawn's lips.

Good question.

Which instantly knocked all the irritation, indignation and complaints out of her.

Why is she here? What did she want when she agreed to work for Thrawn?

His ingenious problem solving? So he told her to her face that he had his own goals. And he is not on the same path with the Empire. Only they don't know it.

Resurrections of the past? To become needed again? Find a family, the Empire that existed? So again —Thrawn made it clear that he would not do anything about this. He has an agreement with the Empire. He does not touch them, they help him to the best of their ability. And his words that someday, somewhere there will be a new Empire... We still have to live to see that. And it is not a fact that the resulting state will be exactly the one she would like to serve.

Was she encouraged by what the Grand Admiral said about Palpatine's resurrection? Yes... For a moment. She fully admitted that Thrawn could manipulate some facts to suit his own purposes. Quite vague, I must say. But she had no doubt that he was telling the truth. Palpatine is alive. And if so, then... Why didn't he call her? Because she's unworthy because she didn't complete the task? Or because of its uselessness? Thrawn said that there were forces on Byss and in the Deep Core that were far more powerful than anything he possessed. Thrawn is sure that they will be used «in the dark» like lambs to the slaughter. Maybe everything is not so, but... He has no facts to prove it, and she has no facts to refute it. He contrasts his conclusions with her emotions and feelings of attachment to the old one. But the past cannot be returned...

She lives in the present. Thrawn lives in the present, but as always, looks to the future. And no matter how much he boasts, she knows the Emperor better than all his other... servants.

Thrawn is right. Palpatine, if he is truly alive, will take revenge. He did not forgive anyone for the insults inflicted on him. For some reason, what came to mind was the cruelty with which the employees of the bank were persecuted, in which, due to an error, the name of the Emperor was included in the lists of debtors and as such became known to a wide circle of the population of the Center of the Empire. The poor fellows had to hide, going down to the Lower Levels, where mutants, degraded intelligent and simply bloodthirsty creatures live. And there was no more news from them. Mara didn't even want to think about what happened to them.

And again she was torn apart by contradictions. For the first time, the powers that be offered her to become their equal. Not an assistant, not a servant an ally. Thrawn's reputation spoke for itself —he does not betray his allies. Those whom he at least trusts. But... Does he believe her? Good question. Now he definitely doesn't trust me. If she agrees to go with him, tests and tests await her, by completing which she will be able to earn his complete trust. And... she can do it. No problem. After six months in Karrde's organization, she gained his complete trust. Thrawn... is an order of magnitude higher, but he himself said that Palpatine plans to speak in a year and a half. It's strange to hear such an interpretation of time from him; usually he is as accurate as a chronometer. Most likely he himself does not know how much time he has left.

He knows Palpatine is using him. Palpatine probably knows that Thrawn guessed everything. Why doesn't he strike now? Probably due to the fact that he is not yet strong enough. Thrawn himself understands this. The Chiss probably intends to get the maximum result of his activities as soon as possible, and then go into the shadows. He is not an idiot to remain in sight of Palpatine, who, simply for the safety of his loved one, will grind into powder everyone who could become an obstacle in his path.

Is she one of them? It's hard to say... But, probably, yes... She did not fulfill the will of the Emperor. Didn't kill Luke Skywalker. And even if she rushes to complete her task now, in order to appear in a better light when Palpatine returns, then... Will this help her? After all, she is simply his servant, if you believe Thrawn's words —just one of many. And the more she understood the intricacy of information that he dumped on her completely inconsistently, mixing it together... the more she believed in Thrawn's words.

Palpatine is powerful enough to leave a command message in her brain that drove her crazy after his death. A very unusual punishment for a mistake, causing suffering due to non-compliance. These are now just auditory and visual hallucinations. In the past, she almost went crazy from the headaches and pressure on her brain that accompanied more and more manifestations of the Emperor's will with the same order.

"You will kill Luke Skywalker"...

Words she hates. And because of the pain they bring, he also hates Luke Skywalker. If Thrawn is right and Vader's son did not kill Palpatine, then... She was simply used. They fooled me and kicked me in the ass, forcing me to continue serving. Do what she does best.

Be a consumable resource. Like all of them: the Empire, Thrawn, his people...

The girl looked with a confused look at her palm, in which she was clutching a chip with the names of the Emperor's Hands. Why did she take it? To make sure Thrawn didn't deceive her? One might think that he would not have found a way to hide the fact of falsification. With his brains...

Maybe she wanted to find them all and finish them off? Because... Why? What did they do to her? Nothing.

Or did she panic? I was confused because of the awareness of my non-exclusivity. Out of resentment at how Thrawn just pulled her out of the dream world in which she lived, comforting herself with memories of the past...

She lost everything. First, the Empire and the Emperor, whom she served faithfully. But she was able to find a replacement for them in Karrde and his organization.

Now she doesn't have that either. And the path to the semi-legal world is closed to her —through the efforts of Karrde, who succumbed to Thrawn's provocations.

She came to Thrawn in the hope that she would return to the Empire she left. And here she was again disappointed.

Thrawn told her that the Emperor was alive. Whether it was true or not, he wouldn't joke about such things. If he actually had a Dark Jedi on whom Palpatine developed cloning technology, then there is every chance that Palpatine used the same technology to regain his body after death. If she remembered the rule, then Spaarti technology was used at the end of the Clone Wars to make up for the losses of the Grand Army of the Republic. And then they found out that the clones suffered from mental and other disorders. —Clonic madness. Which manifested itself spontaneously, at different periods of the clones' existence...

Hutt! Yes, after all these conversations with Thrawn, she would have believed that the Grand Army of the Republic was created from clones because Palpatine wanted a massive trial of cloning technology in order to live forever with its help...

And then she became scared. Very, very scary.

When Palpatine reorganized the Old Republic into the Galactic Empire, he told the senators that it was destined to last for thousands of years. In history lessons she didn't attach much importance to this phrase. But now... Knowing Palpatine, he was not going to give up the throne to anyone. Even the fact that Vader was his heir to this post is nothing more than a formality to calm the masses after a series of riots and attempts on Palpatine's life.

And if Palpatine planned to rule for thousands of years... Then he was not going to die even then. But he taught her something else, exactly the opposite. Thrawn did not give her this as an example, because he did not know —the conversation was in private. Many years ago...

Palpatine was already using it then, clouding his mind. Just as he clouded the minds of the entire population of the Imperial Center, and hid it right in the city of "Lusankya". Nineteen-kilometer super star destroyer. On repulsor platforms... Tested whether he could control the minds of planets, systems, sectors, galaxies...

Control minds...

Mara raised her head, turning a defiant gaze on Thrawn.

—Let's put your rhetoric aside, Grand Admiral. You have no evidence, and for me, after all these years, words alone, even from someone as intelligent as you, are not enough. If you really want me to become your ally, there is a way for you to prove your sincerity to me.

The Grand Admiral gave her a hard, assessing look. Even without mastery of the Force, he seemed to go through her like a roller... But she endured with honor — in the service of Palpatine, she did not feel such views on herself.

—You set a condition for me, Mara Jade,— Thrawn said calmly, touching the button on the armrest with his thumb. —I warned you not to do this...

The girl felt a slight trembling. Looks like she crossed the line. And now, watching the Noghri appear from behind Thrawn a killer, a bodyguard, a saboteur these people could play any destructive role, she clearly understood that her path would end here and now.

There was no point in even trying to escape —the Noghri would catch up with her and finish her off. And if not him, then the legion of stormtroopers stationed on the planet. Or they will blow it up in the air. Or they will set bounty hunters on her trail...

The girl raised her head proudly, not wanting to seem like a coward in her last moments and...

She felt the Strength return to her.

"You will kill Luke Skywalker"!

The voice sounded so loud, so suddenly that she fell to her knees. How?! Why?! The visions did not overtake her so sharply, so painfully at the very beginning and... It seemed that shades of madness appeared in him. It was as if now what was playing in her mind was not a recorded composition, but she was personally present at the performance of a symphony orchestra...

—The Ysalamiri no longer affect you and me, Mara Jade,— Thrawn's voice, insinuating and attentive, sensitive and caring, sounded loudly, breaking through the echo of Palpatine's last order. —You can look into my mind and make sure that everything I say is true. Rukh will keep Ysalamiri away from you, but if you try to hinder me, he will kill you on the spot.

Tears ran from her eyes. Her head was pounding, and phantom pains were coursing through my body in waves. It was as if all the time she spent under the ysalamiri, mental impulses had been accumulating outside the bubble that blocked the Force, and now they all fell upon her at once...

The girl looked up at Thrawn. He sat there, relaxed and ready to let her into the holy of holies —his mind. Did he know that even in the best years of her life she could not without consequences penetrate the mind of another sentient being without destroying it? No, I couldn't know. No one knew except herself

But he took this step. Frankness is not just in words, but in deeds. An act that she could not even expect from him.

And at that very moment, all doubts disappeared from her.

—I... agree,— she said, not hearing her own voice, disoriented by the ringing in her ears. —I... will be your ally, Thrawn!

Suddenly it became cool and light. Jade, still hearing the ringing in her ears, looked at the Grand Admiral. He was still sitting in his chair, looking at her indifferently. And next to her, she saw a Noghri holding a ysalamiri in one hand, and a disintegrator aimed at her in the other. And even in such a broken state, she understood that the killer wielded this weapon perfectly. And she wouldn't miss from such a close range, even if she had the Force.

—I offered to be your ally, Mara Jade,— he said. —But you decided to break the rules I set. Allies don't do that.

—I'm not much of an ally,— the former Emperor's Hand tried to cheer up. —The voices in your head say one thing, the voices in your life say something else...

—The Emperor's last order,— Thrawn said as if thoughtful. —Yes, an unpleasant thing. I can save you from it.

Is this any surprise? Or should we once again admire the fact that Thrawn has everything in check, as always?

—You are not connected to the Force, Thrawn,— Mara reminded, somehow getting to her feet. To keep from falling from dizziness, she looked at the gray floor of the reception hall of the Moff's residence. —Can `t you help me.

—I don't,— the Grand Admiral's voice rumbled almost above her ear. and he does.

When she looked up at the Supreme Commander of the Empire, she found him standing in front of her, on the last step. It seems to be equal to her, but still... higher. Symbolic. As well as the fact that the Grand Admiral had in his hands a medium-sized silver cylinder, with a well-made handle and...

—Light saber? — Mara was surprised, recognizing the object.

—I no longer offer you to be my ally,— Thrawn said. — You violated my terms. But I still suggest you work for me. Do what you do better than others. Be my Hand, Mara Jade. Carry my word and the will of my Empire, which we will build together. Serve me and all your fears will be a thing of the past. I will not leave you in your hour of need, I will never betray you or give you offense. In exchange for this, I only need your loyalty. From now until death.

—H-how will you free me from Palpatine's orders? —That's all Mara Jade could say, completely confused by the Grand Admiral's assertive rhetoric. Only the answer to the question asked of her separated her from agreeing to Thrawn's proposal. The only one who dared to trust her.

—This is Luke Skywalker's lightsaber,— Thrawn explained. —I took it from the Emperor's treasury inside Mount Tantiss.

— And... how will he help me get rid of my obsession? — Vague suspicions began to arise in her head.

—You will carry out Palpatine's last order,— Thrawn said firmly and confidently. Apparently something flashed across her face, causing the Grand Admiral to deign to explain:

—Where I received this lightsaber, Luke Skywalker's right hand is also waiting it's our.

Mara Jade's eyes widened. The right hand reached for the lightsaber, at the same time as the brain was building a logical chain.

Luke Skywalker's lightsaber. Luke Skywalker's hand. Inside Mount Tantiss. In the same place as Spaarti's cloning cylinders.

Touching the cool metal with her hand, she moved the weapon to the side. The thumb rested comfortably on the activation key.

With a hiss, a blue and white blade of pure energy popped out of the emitter. Strongly Hastonizing with Grand Admiral Thrawn's skin color.

— Your answer, Mara Jade? —came the voice of the creature who destroyed her life only to offer her a new one. A creature she could kill right now—she didn't even need the Force's support. Yes, she would die —without the Force she would not be able to deflect all the Noghri's shots. She is disintegrated due to a crazy desire to kill...

But why? After all, she was offered a solution to the problem. And they gave her something without which she felt as if she was incomplete all these five and a half years...

She will kill Luke Skywalker. After all, he's not supposed to be the real Luke Skywalker. She will save herself from the mental torture left to her as punishment by a crazy old man with a bad head and a manic desire for absolute power.

With a characteristic hiss, the blue energy blade retracted into the hilt. The lightsaber took its proper place on his belt.

—I await orders, Grand Admiral Thrawn,— she said, looking into the eyes of the Supreme Commander of the Empire. And in them she saw the old order burning in the flames of change. And establishing new ones. Tough but fair. Birth of a New Empire.

On this day, the known history of a galaxy far, far away changed irrevocably. The Emperor's hand ceased to exist.

Instead, the Thrawn's Hand was born.