“Congratulations, Commodore,” he said, inclining his head to her. “You’ll remember I said you’d be here one day.”

“Actually, as I recall, you suggested I’d someday make admiral,” Ar’alani reminded him. “I still have a ways to go.”

“You’ll make it,” Thrawn said. “I understand you’ve been assigned the Destrama and Picket Force Six.”

“I have,” Ar’alani confirmed. “I’ve also requested that you be made my first officer.”

“Really,” Thrawn said, clearly surprised. “I thought your babysitting duties had ended.”

“You think you were aboard the Parala because General Ba’kif wanted me to look after you?”

“I think it was more a matter of wanting you to make sure I didn’t go off the edge.” Thrawn paused. “Again.”

“There may have been a bit of that,” Ar’alani conceded. “But that’s not really relevant. I asked for you because you’re a good officer.” She smiled faintly. “I also suspect there’ll be a promotion for you somewhere along the way.”

“Thank you,” Thrawn said. “I’ll try not to make you regret your decision.” He hesitated. “I’m in need of advice, Commodore, if you have a moment to spare.”

“For you, what moments I can’t spare I’ll make,” she said, glancing past his shoulder. None of the other guests were close enough to hear. “And when it’s just the two of us, it can just be Thrawn and Ar’alani.”

He gave a sort of hesitant smile. “Thank you. That’s…I’m honored.”

She smiled back. “So. What do you need?”

“I was recently approached by one of the Irizi,” he said, lowering his voice a little. “He said that some of the Mitth are unhappy with me, and may try to have me released.”

Ar’alani’s first instinct was to deflect the conversation elsewhere. Family politics were always a touchy subject.

But she didn’t have any family politics. Not anymore. “What was his name?”

“Aristocra Irizi’stal’mustro.”

Ar’alani nodded. “Zistalmu. Never met him, but I know of him. Let me guess: He thought you should request to join the Irizi instead?”

“Actually, his tone and phrasings suggested that the rematching was already a given,” Thrawn said. “There was certainly no mention of interviews or other barriers to my acceptance. He also suggested I would be a Trial-born instead of a merit adoptive.”

“Interesting,” Ar’alani said. “You say all this was suggested, but not stated outright?”

“There wasn’t any formal invitation, if that’s what you mean.”