“Hopefully, not very,” Ar’alani said. “It looks like they’re trying to play innocent, and it would be nice to leave them thinking we’d bought their act. But I want speed and power in reserve if we need it. Sky-walker Che’ri?”

“I’m ready,” Che’ri said. Her voice was shaking a bit, but the words were firm enough.

Ar’alani gestured to Thrawn. “Ready?”

“Yes,” he said, taking a step closer to her command chair. “Watch the gunboats.”

She nodded and tapped the comm switch. “Go.”

“This is Senior Captain Thrawn, Ambassador Ilparg’s supervisor,” Thrawn said. “Thank you for your interest, but the ambassador does not feel prepared at this time for a full diplomatic conversation. The Chiss Ascendancy will be in future communication with you regarding this matter.”

The Lioaoin gave some kind of wordy but mostly meaningless reply. But Ar’alani wasn’t really listening. Seven of the nine gunboats Thrawn had told her to watch had activated their thrusters at the mention of his name, moving out of formation with their bows swinging toward the Vigilant.

But they’d barely begun their maneuver when they abruptly throttled back, holding their new positions for another moment before dropping back into place with the two gunboats that hadn’t left their orbits. The whole thing took barely five seconds, with all nine ships back in formation before Thrawn even finished his statement.

The half of her brain that was monitoring the conversation recognized that it was over. She tapped the comm switch again and nodded to Octrimo. “Take us out, helm,” she ordered. “Nice and easy and calm. Sky-walker, stand ready.”

She turned her attention to the Battle Dreadnought, wondering if its captain would now decide to drop his own innocent act. But the Nikardun continued its leisurely orbit as the Vigilant turned and drove back out of the gravity well. Che’ri leaned over her control board, and with a burst of star-flares they were back in the safety of hyperspace.

Wutroow crossed the bridge to Ar’alani’s side. “So what exactly did we learn?” she asked.

“You weren’t watching the gunboats?” Ar’alani asked.

“You and Thrawn were watching them. I figured someone ought to keep an eye on the Dreadnought.”

“Yes. Good thinking.” Ar’alani looked up at Thrawn. “Your idea, Senior Captain. Go ahead and lay it out.”

“Seven of the nine gunboats reacted to my name by starting to move toward us,” Thrawn told Wutroow. “That suggests both that I’m known to the Nikardun, and that there’s some kind of standing order regarding me. But a moment later all seven returned to their formation.”

“So whoever was commanding the fighters was all set to come charging over and avenge the horrible insult you delivered at Rapacc,” Wutroow said slowly. “Only someone higher in the command chain countermanded the order.”