Star Wars - Hand of Thrawn 2 - Vision of the Future

by Timothy Zahn

  Her fumbling hand reached out to touch his. It felt very cold. "There's nothing you can do. Nothing at all."

  Luke inhaled raggedly, the cool night air digging like the ice of Hoth into his lungs, his hands and mind and heart aching with the overwhelming desire to do something. To do anything.

  But she was right. He could hate it, he could bitterly oppose it; but down deep, he knew she was right. The universe wasn't his responsibility. Decisions made by other peopletheir actions, their consequences, even their sacrificesthey weren't his responsibility, either.

  Mara had made her choice, and had accepted the consequences for it. And he had neither the duty nor the right to try to take it away from her.

  Which left only one thing he could do. Moving closer to her on the ledge, he put his arm around her.

  For a moment she resisted, old fears and habits and loneliness mixing together with her roiling pain to stiffen her muscles away from him. But only for a moment. Then, as if that part too of her life had now been lost, she melted against his side, her so carefully constructed barriers bursting aside as she finally poured out the grief and loss she had held so deeply and privately inside her.

  Luke wrapped his arm tighter around her, murmuring meaningless words as he fought with her through the storm of pain and misery, absorbing what he could of it and offering what comfort and warmth he could in return. In the distance, the firing from the towers increased

  And then, above the edge of the cliff, he saw it. Cutting low over a distant hill, its hull burnished by the surrealistic effect of full shields operating in atmosphere, it twisted and writhed like a living thing as it evaded or dodged or simply shrugged off the withering firestorm savaging the air around it, firing back steadily but uselessly in return at the impenetrable black stone rising before it. Drawn like a mynock to a power cable by the beckon call Mara had spliced into one of the alien ships' comm systems, it was driving its single-minded way toward the open hangar entrance, the one single weak point in the entire fortress. Mara's personal ship, the one thing in the universe she truly owned.

  The Jade's Fire.

  The tears had stopped now, Mara's shoulders tensing beneath Luke's arm as she leaned tautly forward to watch. The Fire was almost to the Hand of Thrawn now, and Luke could see that beneath the burnishing effect the hull had been torn open in a dozen different places, some with the yellow swirling of raging flames blazing behind them. The towers intensified their attack; but it was too late. The Fire dipped one final time, vanishing from their view

  And with a brilliant yellow-orange fireball that blasted outward toward the far mountains, lighting up the landscape like daylight on Coruscant, it reached its goal.

  The sound of the explosion a second later seemed curiously muffled, as if the containing wall of Hijarna stone was as unaffected by the sound as it presumably had been by the explosion itself. A few seconds later another even softer blast washed over them, echoed back from the mountains. The towers, almost reluctantly it seemed, ceased their firing.

  And once again, the silence of the night settled in around them.

  They sat there in the quiet a long time, clinging to each other as they gazed out at the twisting yellow glow that was the Fire's funeral pyre. Slowly, as the hangar bay fire burned itself out, Luke felt Mara's pain similarly fade away.

  But to his surprise, it was not a hopeless bitterness or even simple weariness that rose within her to fill the space left by the pain. She had mourned her loss and spent her grief; and now, as it would always be with her, it was time to put feelings and emotions aside and focus again on the task that needed to be done.

  And indeed, a minute later, she stirred in his arms. "We'd better go," she said, her voice slightly ragged with the aftereffects of her crying but otherwise calm and clear. "They're going to be fighting that fire for a while. This is probably our best chance to sneak back in."

  * * * "From the size of that blast, I figure we ought to have knocked out everything in the hangar," Mara commented as they made their way back down the cliff toward their ship. "At least as far as flyability is concerned. There may be something way in the back they'll be able to salvage, but it's going to be a job to even get it out."

  She was babbling, she knew, her words tumbling out every which way in the aftermath of the exhausting emotional hammering she'd just gone through. She'd never much liked babblers herself, and the thought that she'd become one, even on a temporary basis, rather annoyed her.

  But oddly enough, it didn't actually embarrass her. That part wasn't a mystery, either. If dumping everything on Luke the way she had up there hadn't totally ruined his opinion of her, a little babbling wasn't likely to do it, either.

  And it hadn't destroyed that opinion. That was probably the most surprising part of it all. It truly and genuinely hadn't. Picking her way down the cliff, she could still feel the same warmth and acceptance flowing from him that he'd wrapped so tightly around her up there.

  There was also, to be sure, a bit more concern and overprotectiveness in the mix than she really felt comfortable with. But that was okay. That was just Luke, and it certainly wasn't anything she couldn't handle.

  "I still don't know how we're going to do this," Luke said, stumbling briefly on a patch of loose rock behind her before he caught himself. "It'll take way too long to go in through the cave again."

  "I know," Mara agreed. "Parck mentioned there were gaps in the wall. I guess we'll have to go cross-country and then somehow climb up the side to one of them."

  "That's going to be tricky," Luke warned. "They're not going to be nearly as kindly disposed toward us as they were before."

  Mara snorted. "That's okay," she said grimly. "I'm not exactly all that kindly disposed toward them, either."

  Ahead and below now, barely visible in the faint starlight, she could see their borrowed ship, just beyond one last narrow fissure in the rock. Gathering herself, she leaped across the gap to a flat-topped boulder

  And abruptly halted, flailing for balance on the rock as shock froze her muscles. Suddenly, unexpectedly, a strange thought or sound had flashed into her mind.

  Jedi Sky Walker? Are you there?

  She lost the fight for balance and dropped rather awkwardly off onto the ground, barely able to keep her feet under her as she landed. But she hardly noticed. There at the ship, perched atop the TIE fighter-style panels, were a dozen nervously fluttering shadows. Even as Luke landed on the ground beside her, one of the shadows detached itself from the ship and flew to a landing on the rock they'd just vacated. It is you, indeed, the thought echoed through her mind, the words framed by excitement and relief. I saw the great fire, and feared you and Mara Jade had perished.

  It was Child Of Winds.

  And she could hear him.

  She looked at Luke, saw her own surprise reflected in his face and mind. "You do go in for the dramatic changes, don't you?" she managed, nodding toward the young Qom Qae. "Nice touch. Really."

  Luke lifted his hands, palms outward. "Hey, don't look at me," he protested. "I had nothing to do with this."

  Listen to me, please, Child Of Winds cut in impatiently. You must go to the aid of the Qom Jha. The Threateners have invaded their home.

  "You mean the cave?" Luke asked, frowning.

  "All the way in?" Mara added. "Or are they just at the front?"

  There was a flurry of conversation back and forth between the alien and the others still hanging from the ship. We do not know, Child Of Winds said. My friends from this nesting of the Qom Qae saw them enter the cave with large branches and machines.

  Mara looked at Luke. "Large branches?"

  "Heavy weaponry, I'd guess," he said. "How long were these branches?"

  Some were twice as long as a Qom Qae, Child Of Winds said, stretching out his wings for comparison.

  "A little big for cleaning out a cave," Mara said. "Sounds like they've figured out that was how we got in."

  "And are setting up in case we come back," Luke said
grimly. "Well, we knew we couldn't get in that way, anyway. I just hope the Qom Jha were able to clear out of their way."

  "Nothing we can do about it now," Mara said. "And sitting here dithering will only give them more time to get ready for us."

  "You're right," Luke said reluctantly. "Let me go get Artoo and we'll get moving."

  Do you not go to help the Qom Jha? Child Of Winds asked anxiously as Luke started past him.

  "There's nothing we can do," Mara told him. "We have to get back into the High Tower right away."

  He stared up at her. But you promised.

  "We promised only to do what we could," Mara reminded him. "In this case, it turns out we weren't able to do all that much." She sighed. "Look, for what it's worth, the Threateners don't consider either of you to be anything more than large annoying vermin. If you stay away from their ships and the High Tower from now on, they most likely won't bother you anymore."

  I understand, Child Of Winds said, his disappointment still heavy in his tone. I will pass along that message.

  "I'm sorry we couldn't help you more," Mara said. "But it's an imperfect universe, and no one ever gets everything he wants or thinks he wants. Part of growing up is to face that, accept it, and move on."

  The Qom Qae straightened up. And what is it you want, Mara Jade?

  Mara looked over at the ship, at the open hatch into which Luke had vanished. It was, as it happened, a question she'd been turning over in her mind a lot lately. A question swirling with conflicting emotions and contradictory thoughts, with cautious hopes and wary fears.

  And a question she was definitely not interested in discussing with some strange junior alien. "All I want right now is a way back into the High Tower," she said, choosing a more immediate goal. "Let's get through that one first, shall we?"

  Child Of Winds seemed to shiver. Back into the High Tower? But why?

  Luke had reappeared in the hatchway now and was using the Force to lower the droid to the ground. "It'd take too long to explain," she said. "But it's vitally important. Trust me."

  I do, he said with an unexpected fervor. I trust you and Jedi Sky Walker both. He hesitated. And I can show you a way.

  Mara frowned. "You can? Where?"

  That direction, he said, jabbing his head toward a point just to the right of where the Hand of Thrawn would be. My friends say there is a hole in the rock beside the Lake of Small Fish that will lead to the cavern near where we first entered the High Fortress.

  Mara looked over at Luke, an odd thought beginning to whisper its way into her mind. Maybe tackling the High Tower itself wouldn't actually be necessary. "Is it big enough for us to get through?"

  I do not know. Child Of Winds hesitated. But I am told it is the same passage the fire creepers use when they move under the ground.

  Mara felt her fingers twinge at the memory. The thought of sliding down a hole behind a horde of fire creepers frankly made her skin crawl. But if it was the only way, then it was the only way. "Let me check with Luke."

  She crossed over to where he was standing beside the droid and ran him a quick summary. "Sounds worth checking out, anyway," he agreed. "How far away is this lake?"

  It will not take long, Child Of Winds assured him. By flight it is very near.

  "We can't take the ship," Luke told him. "The Threateners would spot us quickly."

  I do not refer to the flying machine. Abruptly the Qom Qae seemed to straighten himself up. I and my friends will carry you there. And we will not be seen.

  Mara and Luke exchanged glances. "Are you sure?" Luke asked, glancing around the group. "There aren't very many of you, and we're not as light as we look. And we'll need to take Artoo, too."

  I and my friends will carry you there, Child Of Winds repeated. Not for hope of gain, he added hastily, but because you have risked much already for the Qom Qae, and we have given nothing in return. It is only right for us to do this.

  Luke looked at Mara. "Going underground again will mean another long climb up the hidden stairway, you know," he warned. "You sure you're up to that?"

  Mara felt her lip twitch. "Actually, I don't think we'll need to go into the High Tower at all."

  Luke's forehead creased. "Oh?"

  "I was just thinking a minute ago about that big power source Artoo spotted when we first got into the underground room," she told him. "The one off in the direction Keeper Of Promises said was always fatal to Qom Jha who wandered off that way."

  She looked toward the High Tower. "And then," she added quietly, "I started wondering about what Parck said Thrawn had told them. That if he was ever reported dead they should watch for his return ten years later."

  She felt Luke's moment of puzzlement, then the tightening of his emotions as he suddenly understood. "You're right," he said, his voice low and dark. "It would be just like him, wouldn't it? Just exactly like him."

  "I think it's worth checking out, anyway," Mara said.

  "Definitely," Luke agreed, his voice and mind suddenly filled with new urgency. "All right, Child Of Winds, you're on. Get your friends organized and let's get moving."

  * * * The major sitting glowering on the Chimaera's aft bridge comm display was middle-aged, overweight, and almost painfully uncultured. And, if his answers were any indication, unimaginative and not particularly intelligent along with it.

  But he was also completely and unwaveringly loyal to his superior. The exact type of man, Pellaeon thought sourly, that Moff Disra would naturally choose to run interference for him.

  "I'm sorry, Admiral Pellaeon," the major said again, "but His Excellency left no instructions on how he could be reached. If you'd care to talk with his chief of staff, I can see if he's available"

  "My business is with Moff Disra personally," Pellaeon cut him off, already well tired of this game. "And I strongly suggest you remember who it is you're speaking to. The Supreme Commander of Imperial forces is, by law, to have reasonable access at all times to all high-ranking civilian leaders."

  The major gathered himself into a sort of halfhearted attention. "Yes, sir, I know that," he said, his tone on the edge of insubordination. "It's my understanding, though, that His Excellency is in fact with the Supreme Commander."

  Pellaeon felt his face darken. "What are you talking about?" he demanded. "I'm the Supreme Commander."

  "Maybe you need to ask Moff Disra about that," the major said, clearly unfazed by the threat in Pellaeon's voice and face. "Or Gran"

  He broke off, the stolid features twitching as if he'd belatedly realized he'd started to say something he shouldn't. "But I personally have no official information on that," he finished, a bit lamely. "I expect His Excellency back within a few days. You can call back then."

  "Of course," Pellaeon said softly. "Thank you, Major, for your time."

  He keyed off the comm and straightened up; and only then did he allow the infinite tiredness within him to flow visibly out onto his face.

  To his left, standing in the archway leading to the Chimaera's main bridge, Colonel Vermel stirred. "It's bad, sir, isn't it?" he asked.

  "Bad enough," Pellaeon admitted, waving at the empty display. "Blatant insubordination from Disra himself I would have expected. But to get the same thing from a relatively minor lackey implies an exuberant confidence in Disra's palace far beyond anything he should have."

  He stepped into the archway beside Vermel. "And I can think of only one possible reason for that degree of confidence."

  Vermel made a sound in his throat. "Grand Admiral Thrawn."

  Pellaeon nodded. "The major nearly said as muchI'm sure you caught that. And if Thrawn is back, and is siding with Disra..."

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

&nbs
p; For a minute they stood together in silence, the muted background of the Chimaera's bridge activity the only sound. Pellaeon let his gaze sweep slowly across the bridge of his ship, wishing he knew what he should do next. If Thrawn was back, of course, he need do nothingthe Grand Admiral would make his wishes and orders known in his own good time.

  But if Thrawn wasn't back...

  He stepped forward and gestured to the Intelligence duty officer at his portside crew pit station. "We've intercepted several rumors of Grand Admiral Thrawn's return in the past two weeks," he said. "Have any of the reports mentioned him being associated with any Star Destroyer other than the Relentless?"

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

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

  "Yes, sir."

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

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

  "Yes, but"

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

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

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

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

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

  "I hope you know what you're doing, sir," Vermel said uneasily. "If Thrawn and Disra are working together, forcing a confrontation with Disra in his presence may not exactly be a wise career move."