“This is light-years beyond the electrostatic barriers we’ve been using,” Ar’alani continued. “We’re going to have to rethink our tactics, our fleet array, the whole balance of power. Everything.”

“But our advantage is only temporary,” Thrawn warned. “Even if we can reverse-engineer the one we brought back—”

“We can,” Ar’alani said. “We will.”

“Even if we can,” Thrawn continued, “no technology remains exclusive for long. Once it’s known to exist, others will develop their own version. Or will simply steal it.”

“Not from us,” Ar’alani said, her lip twisting. “But getting one from the Republic should be easy enough.” She tapped the questis thoughtfully. “The real question is why Yiv hasn’t gotten something like this already. You said there was some group of aliens involved with the Separatists, didn’t you?”

“Yes, but there’s no reason to think they’re necessarily associated with the Nikardun,” Thrawn pointed out. “Even if they are, they may have the same concerns we do. If they show the Chaos that such a shield exists, the Ascendancy and everyone else will soon have one.”

“So they’re thinking to use it as a surprise somewhere down the line?”

“As are we,” Thrawn said. “But unlike them, we can’t afford to wait. We have to use it now, and against Yiv, before he knows we have it.”

“Though he may already know,” Ar’alani warned. “It sounds like you and this General Skywalker made quite a loud mess out there.” She shook her head. “Skywalker. Bizarre coincidence.”

“I understand it’s not that uncommon name in parts of Lesser Space,” Thrawn said. “But you’re absolutely correct. There’s no way the incidents on Batuu and Mokivj can be kept quiet for long.”

Thalias winced. Running battles, interrogations, wholescale destruction on a planetary scale. Incidents.

“Fine,” Ar’alani said, setting the questis aside. “You obviously have a plan. Let’s hear it.”

Thrawn paused, as if gathering his thoughts, and Thalias took the moment to give Che’ri a surreptitious look. The girl had first greeted her with hugs and tears, some of joy and some of simple released tension. In that respect, she was very much the little girl who’d left the Ascendancy on this adventure.

But as Thalias looked at her now, she could see that the journey had added more than a few weeks’ worth of age to her. Not in the sense of aging, exactly, with the extra stress or weight that might have been laid on her from weeks of danger or fear or exhaustion. Instead, it was as if a fresh layer of maturity and confidence had settled across the child’s face.

“First of all, we know Yiv isn’t ready to take on the Ascendancy,” Thrawn said. “That much was clear after our first visit to the Lioaoin heartworld. Surrounded by his allies, facing an enemy he very much wanted to capture or kill—”

“You?” Ar’alani suggested.