The second novel in Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn Ascendancy series of books is due next week, and IGN.com share an exclusive excerpt, showing that Thrawn’s list of enemies is growing longer.
The shifting patterns of hyperspace swirled outside the Grayshrike’s bridge, a hypnotic spectacle that never failed to amaze or intimidate first-time viewers. Lakinda hardly noticed. With no shipboard duties currently vying for her attention, her full focus was on how Ar’alani’s almost offhanded order was going to affect her life. On the surface, of course, there would be no effect. Her admiral had detached one of her ship captains from the attack force in order to contact her other ship captain. All perfectly proper, reasonable, and necessary. No one on Csilla would blink twice over the order or Lakinda’s obedience to it. But that was on Csilla. On Cioral, stronghold of the Xodlak family, it would be a different story.
Honor and glory to the family. That was the Xodlak watchword these days. Not just a slogan, but the single most important goal for all who called themselves by the Xodlak name. And Lakinda had now failed—twice in a row—to earn that glory. She felt a knot in her stomach. The first blow had been at their last skirmish with the Nikardun, where untimely battle damage to the Grayshrike’s thrusters had robbed her of her part in the final cleanup operation. That had left the Vigilant and Springhawk to gather those last bits of glory. Now she’d been taken out of the final, climactic battle against the remnants of General Yiv’s forces in order to play messenger.
To play messenger.
“Senior Captain?”Lakinda shifted her eyes away from the hypnotic swirl. Her first officer, Mid Captain Csap’ro’strob, was standing beside her command chair, an uncertain expression on his face. “What is it?”“I have the follow-up report on the thruster repairs, ma’am,” Apros said, offering his questis. “Did you want to look at it now or wait until later?”
“Now is good,” she said, taking the questis and skimming the report. The thrusters were still not up to full strength, but they were solidly functional. “They’ve made good progress,” she continued. “Relay my compliments and have them keep at it.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Apros hesitated. “Ma’am?”
“Something else, Mid Captain?”
“I was wondering if you could enlighten me as to what the Springhawk is doing way over in the Rapacc system.”
“I assume it’s because of the Nikardun presence Thrawn reported after his first incursion there,” Lakinda said. “Apparently, Rapacc is included in the region our force was tasked to clear out.”
“That would be reasonable,” Apros agreed, a slight frown creasing his forehead. “I’m mostly wondering why Ar’alani would send the Springhawk out there alone.”
“Thrawn went toe-to-toe with them once before,” Lakinda reminded him. “Even brought back one of their smaller warships for us to study.”
“Which we all appreciated when we tangled with them over Primea,” Apros said. “My point is that the Vigilant’s now about to go in alone against that final Nikardun listening post. This just seems . . . unwise.”
“Perhaps,” Lakinda said. “Or perhaps the admiral’s decided that a single Chiss warship is enough to take on a group of desperate and badly organized Nikardun.”
“That wasn’t the case at that last base,” Apros pointed out darkly. “It took all three of us there to finish them off.”
“I suppose we’ll just have to see,” Lakinda said, keeping her voice neutral as she handed back the questis. “The Springhawk and Vigilant are excellent ships, with superb officers and warriors. Whatever Ar’alani and Thrawn run into, I’m sure they’ll be able to handle it.”
“I hope so.” Apros offered a small smile. “It would be embarrassing to have beaten Yiv’s main force at Primea only to get kicked in the teeth by his dregs.
“Never happen,” Lakinda said firmly. “Carry on, Mid Captain.”
Apros nodded and headed back to his station. Lakinda watched him go, the knot in her stomach tightening. That wasn’t the case at that last base, he’d said. It took all three of us there to finish them off. That was how most of the officers and warriors in the task force probably saw it. It was almost certainly how Ar’alani’s report would paint it.
Only it wasn’t true.
Read more here. Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good by Timothy Zahn is due for release on April 27th, 2021 and is available to preorder from Amazon UK and US.
