Grand Admiral

The squadron commander of the reconnaissance scouts had just left the compartment.

Captain Pellaeon, watching the pilot leave, shook his head in time with his thoughts. Noticing that the being sitting next to him hadn't even moved, the commander of the Chimaera raised his gaze to the Chiss.

Captain Gilad Pellaeon

Clad in a flawlessly fitting uniform, Grand Admiral Thrawn, as it might seem, was piercing with the gaze of his crimson eyes the scheme still displayed on the computer monitor. A map of the Ojoster sector in the Outer Rim.

The place from which they had recently fled, having received information from the planet Obroa-skai. And barely escaped, rushing into hyperspace from four New Republic assault frigates and a squadron of escorting X-wings.

Not that he didn't understand—a lone Star Destroyer, with a barely trained crew on board... No, Thrawn had done the right thing—ordered the jump into hyperspace to avoid damaging the Chimaera. But... how much he wanted a little miracle! After all, the grand admirals of the Galactic Empire—tactical and strategic geniuses, they should find solutions in any situations...

"And he did find one," came the sobering thought. "Saved your ship and crew. So stop whining like a cadet and start living in reality!"

— The Obroa-skai system has likely become a dead end, — he said to break the tense silence somehow. — It's clear as day that the natives accepted the New Republic's offer.

— Obviously so, — Thrawn said, glancing at the commander of his flagship. And before Gilad could be surprised, he averted his eyes, again examining the diagram. Despondency washed over him again. — You must agree... captain, if it were otherwise, it would be highly unlikely that such forces would be sent after our scouts. Four corvettes...

— Frigates, — Pellaeon corrected automatically.

— And I thought you wouldn't notice the slip, — Gilad nearly fell off his chair. What was that? A smile?! On Thrawn's lips?! How...?!

The commander of the Chimaera felt sweat beading on his forehead. Okay... calm down... So, Thrawn smiled... So... Nothing critical can come from one smile? Or can it?!

— I'm glad you're not entirely lost in your thoughts, captain, — Thrawn said, finishing his thought. — Pay attention to the diagram. Doesn't it remind you of anything?

— A sector map, — Pellaeon shrugged. — Routes, planets, asteroids, stars...

— Stars indeed, captain, — Thrawn repeated, pointing to the transparent data card inserted into the computer. — They will save us.

"Really? Is he mocking me or something?" Pellaeon thought with strange irritation. What's happening to Thrawn? Usually silent, unsmiling, focused...

— As you say, admiral, — Pellaeon sighed.

— Allow me to clarify, — the blue-skinned officer said, taking control of the keyboard. — Obroa-skai has one of the largest libraries in the galaxy. And we were very lucky that the natives allowed our scouts to copy their star system database before deciding to side with the rebels. And that's why we can... — the Chiss's fingers entered a command to filter data regarding gravitational indicators from nearby planets, stars...

A blank zone appeared on the hologram... Which shouldn't be there. At least in the sector known to the galaxy for thousands of years...

— Corrupted data? — he asked.

— Do you think so? — another smile played on Thrawn's lips. — It seems more like deliberate information removal to me.

— And why would the librarians do that? — Pellaeon was taken aback. — Their task is the exact opposite.

— This isn't data from the data card, — Thrawn stated. — From our navigation database. I requested it before you and our brave reconnaissance commander came here. And this, — now Thrawn launched the file with data obtained from the Obroa-skai library, — compare.

Pellaeon blinked. Once, twice, thrice...

— The natives of Obroa-skai have a complete map of the sector? — he asked in surprise.

— As you can see, — Thrawn confirmed, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms across his chest. — Sometimes thinking thoroughly is much more useful than moving blindly. You can rejoice, captain. Today we have seen the light.

— Admiral? — Pellaeon asked cautiously, hinting that it would be nice to share the joyous information directly, not in riddles.

— This, — Thrawn removed the data card from the drive and looked at it as if seeing it for the first time. — Is the culmination of a year-long search, captain. The second part of the puzzle that will bring us victory over the rebels.

"I'd like to know what the first part is," Gilad grumbled to himself. Aloud, he remained customarily silent.

Silence reigned, broken only by the barely audible hum of the equipment.

— We have waited long enough, captain, — Grand Admiral Thrawn said. — Inform the fleet that we will separate from them for a while. And order the bridge to set a course for the planet Myrkr.

— Myrkr? — surprise was evident in Pellaeon's voice.

— Never heard of this beautiful planet, captain? — the Chiss seared him with his attentive gaze.

— I'm afraid not, admiral, — despite being sixty standard years old, Pellaeon did not complain about his memory. If he didn't know something, he said so directly. — Is there something of interest to us on that planet?

— Undoubtedly, — it seemed Thrawn's red eyes flared like supernovae. — There lies one of the secrets of our victory over the New Republic, captain. And we are heading there immediately.

Pellaeon felt a flush of heat. As if the fire of the crimson eyes of the last grand admiral of the Galactic Empire was boiling his blood.

But what frightened him most was that simple smile that had begun to appear in the Chiss's expressions after the shameful retreat from the Obroa-skai system. As if the retreat had broken Thrawn, but now he had pulled himself together and was filled with the desire to fulfill his duty and break the rebels' necks, who had caused the fall of the Galactic Empire.

That day, nearly five and a half years after the Battle of Endor, which marked the beginning of the collapse of the state to which Gilad Pellaeon had devoted a significant part of his conscious life.

However, he was still tormented by doubts about the sudden change in the behavior of the Supreme Commander sitting before him.

"Who are you really, Grand Admiral Thrawn?" he thought. And realized he didn't want to know the answer.