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questions. Another useful talent. “The bottom line, Mara, is that you’re simply too valuable to waste as a backup or even as a line operator,” he concluded. “What I’d like to do is to start grooming you toward eventually becoming my second in command.”
    There was no chance of mistaking her surprise this time. The green eyes went momentarily wide, and then narrowed. “What exactly would my new duties consist of?” she asked.
    “Traveling with me, mostly,” he said, taking a sip of wine. “Watching me set up new business, meeting with some of our long-term customers so that they can get to know you-that sort of thing.”
    She was still suspicious-he could tell that from her eyes. Suspicious that the offer was a smoke screen to mask some more personal request or demand on his part. “You don’t have to answer now,” he told her. “Think about it, or talk to some of the others who’ve been with the organization longer.” He looked her straight in the eye. “They’ll tell you that I don’t lie to my people.”
    Her lip twisted. “So I’ve heard,” she said, her voice going noncommittal again. “But bear in mind that if you give me that kind of authority, I am going to use it. There’s some revamping of the whole organizational structure-”
    She broke off as the intercom on his desk warbled. “Yes?” Karrde called toward it.
    “It’s Aves,” a voice said. “Thought you’d like to know we’ve got company: an Imperial Star Destroyer just made orbit.”
    Karrde glanced at Mara as he got to his feet. “Any make on it yet?” he asked, dropping his napkin beside his plate and stepping around the desk to where he could see the screen.
    “They’re not exactly broadcasting ID sigs these days,” Aves shook his head. “The lettering on the side is hard to read at this distance, but Torve’s best guess is that it’s the Chimaera.”
    “Interesting,” Karrde murmured. Grand Admiral Thrawn himself. “Have they made any transmissions?”
    “None that we’ve picked up-wait a minute. Looks like . . . yes-they’re launching a shuttle. Make that two shuttles. Projected landing point . . .” Aves frowned at something offscreen for a moment. “Projected landing point somewhere here in the forest.”
    Out of the corner of his eyes, Karrde saw Mara stiffen a bit. “Not in any of the cities around the edge?” he asked Aves.
    “No, it’s definitely the forest. No more than fifty kilometers from here, either.”
    Karrde rubbed his forefinger gently across his lower lip, considering the possibilities. “Still only two shuttles?”
    “That’s all so far.” Aves was starting to look a little nervous. “Should I call an alert?”
    “On the contrary. Let’s see if they need any help. Give me a hailing channel.”
    Aves opened his mouth; closed it again. “Okay,” he said, taking a deep breath and tapping something offscreen. “You have hailing.”
    “Thank you. Imperial Star Destroyer Chimaera, this is Talon Karrde. May I be of any assistance to you?”
    “No response,” Aves muttered. “You think maybe they didn’t want to be noticed?”
    “If you don’t want to be noticed, you don’t use a Star Destroyer,” Karrde pointed out. “No, they’re most likely busy running my name through ship’s records. Be interesting to see some day just what they have on me. If anything.” He cleared his throat. “Star Destroyer Chimaera, this is-”
    Abruptly, Aves’s face was replaced by that of a middle-aged man wearing a captain’s insignia. “This is Captain Pellaeon of the Chimaera,” he said brusquely. “What is it you want?”
    “Merely to be neighborly,” Karrde told him evenly. “We track two of your shuttles coming down, and wondered if you or Grand Admiral Thrawn might require any assistance.”
    The skin around Pellaeon’s eyes tightened, just a bit. “Who?”
    “Ah,” Karrde nodded, allowing a slight smile. “Of course. I haven’t heard of Grand Admiral Thrawn, either.