There was no reason to have a sky-walker on this trip. She knew that. The routes within the Ascendancy weren’t like the ones out in the Chaos. Here, the pathways were clear, and the pilots knew how to get where they were going.

That was why the fleet had put Al’iastov’s test here. Trips like this were a safe way to see if a sky-walker could still do her job.

The pilot hadn’t said anything. Neither had Junior Captain Vorlip.

But Al’iastov knew.

She hadn’t been able to keep the Tomra on the right path. The pilot had had to correct the course as they traveled.

Her Third Sight was mostly gone. Her job was ended. The only life she’d ever known was over. A full year ahead of the usual schedule, her life was over.

At age thirteen.

“Are you all right?”

Al’iastov stopped short, rubbing away the tears that had kept her from seeing the other person’s approach. A young man in a black uniform stood facing her a few steps away. There weren’t any insignia pins on his collar, which marked him as a cadet, and his shoulder patch had a sunrise on it. That was one of the Nine Families, she knew, but she couldn’t remember which one. “I’m fine,” she said. One of her other caregivers had told her once that she should never complain about how she was feeling. “Who are you?”

“Cadet Mitth’raw’nuru,” he said. “Journeying to the Taharim Academy. Who are you?”

“Al’iastov.” She winced, remembering too late that her identity was supposed to be kept a secret from everyone except the highest-ranking officers. “I’m the captain’s daughter,” she added, repeating the lie she was always supposed to give if anyone outside the bridge crew asked.

Thrawn’s eyebrow rose, just a bit, and Al’iastov’s sinking heart sank a little deeper. He didn’t believe her. Not only was her life over, but she was probably in trouble now, too. “I mean—”

“It’s all right,” Thrawn said. “What’s wrong, Al’iastov? Can I help?”

Al’iastov sighed. She wasn’t supposed to complain. But for once she didn’t really care what she was supposed to do. “I don’t think so,” she said. “I’m…just worried. About…I don’t know. About what I’m going to do.”

“I understand,” Thrawn said.

Al’iastov caught her breath. Had he figured out what she was? Her brief moment of uncaring rebellion vanished, leaving her once again fully aware that she was going to be in trouble. “You do?” she asked carefully.

“Of course,” Thrawn said. “All of us feel uncertainty as we travel through life. I don’t know specifically what concerns you, but I assure you that all the cadets aboard this ship are also facing changes in their futures.”