“—of lieutenant commander.”
Eli felt his whole body stiffen. What had the admiral said? Lieutenant commander?
That was impossible. For an ensign to jump ahead that many ranks at once was unheard of. He must have heard it wrong.
“Congratulations, Lieutenant Commander Vanto,” the admiral finished.
And the insignia plaque in the admiral’s extended hand was indeed that of a lieutenant commander.
“Congratulations,” Thrawn repeated from beside him.
“Thank you, sir,” Eli managed. “And thank you, ma’am.”
There was more: a few short speeches from the others on the board, more congratulations, stirring visions of the glorious future awaiting them all.
Eli didn’t really hear any of it.
To his mild surprise, Tarkin lingered after the navy officers had filed out again. “Congratulations, Commodore,” the grand moff said, nodding to Thrawn. “And to you, Lieutenant Commander,” he added to Eli.
“Thank you, Your Excellency,” Thrawn said.
“Thank you, Your Excellency,” Eli echoed.
“A fine ceremony,” Tarkin continued. “I’m glad I stopped by. Governor Arihnda Pryce sends her regards and her own congratulations.”
“I wondered if she might,” Thrawn said. There was, Eli noted, a hint of something in his voice. Some kind of private joke between him and Tarkin? “She is well, I trust?”
“Quite well,” Tarkin said. “Eagerly preparing to take on her new post.”
“I am pleased that things have worked out for her.”
“As am I.” Tarkin reached forward and touched the new commodore’s insignia plaque on Thrawn’s chest. “Consider this a bonus.”
“Thank you, Your Excellency,” Thrawn said. “Please thank the governor when you next see her.”
“I will,” Tarkin said. “Now I believe you have enemies of the Empire to deal with. Good hunting to you.”
With a final nod to Thrawn, he turned and left.
“Once again, congratulations, Lieutenant Commander Vanto,” Thrawn said. “I trust the wait has been worth it.”
“It has indeed, sir,” Eli said. Distantly, he wondered what Lieutenant Gimm would say when he first saw the former ensign’s new rank.
Probably nothing. Not much he could say to a superior officer.
But his expression would definitely be worth seeing.
“And now, we’d best get to our new ship,” Thrawn continued, turning toward the door. “There will be a great deal to learn.”
Eli frowned. “Our new ship?”
Thrawn turned, a half-amused, half-knowing smile on his face. “I see you were not paying attention at the end. I thought not. We’re being transferred, Commander. I am now the captain of the ISD Chimaera.”
Eli caught his breath. Thrawn had been given an Imperial Star Destroyer? “No, I—congratulations, sir.”
“Thank you, Commander,” Thrawn said, the amusement growing. “Shall we go?”
“Yes, sir.”
They headed for the door. “What did Grand Moff Tarkin mean by your promotion being a bonus?” Eli asked.
“I think it was merely a joke.”
“Ah,” Eli said. A Star Destroyer was one of the best possible assignments, almost the highest pinnacle of success the Imperial Navy could offer. It would indeed be an honor and a privilege to serve aboard one. And as a lieutenant commander, yet.
Before they left the Thunder Wasp, he promised himself, he would definitely make a point of looking up Lieutenant Gimm.
Seldom can one attain victory in warfare without allies. Some allies provide direct assistance, the two forces battling side by side. Other allies provide logistical support, whether weapons and combat equipment or simply food and other life needs. Sometimes the most effective use of an ally is as a threat, his very presence creating a distraction or forcing the common enemy to deploy resources away from the main battlefront.
But standing by an ally doesn’t necessarily mean one will always agree with that ally. Or with his goals or methods.
—
The Chimaera’s alarm had been muted by the time Eli reached the bridge. Another day, he thought tiredly as he stepped out of the turbolift car, another crisis. Life under Commodore Thrawn’s leadership was exciting enough, but there were times when the pursuit and capture of pirates and smugglers began to feel routine and even a bit boring.
Only today wasn’t just another day. Nor was it just another crisis.
His first warning that something serious was going on was the group clustered around Thrawn beside the aft bridge hologram pod. Not only was Senior Comm Officer Lomar there, but also First Officer Karyn Faro and Stormtrooper Commander Ayer.
Thrawn caught Eli’s eye and beckoned him over. “Lieutenant Commander Vanto,” he said gravely. “Senior Lieutenant Lomar has just received a distress call from the troop transport Sempre. The captain reports he is under attack.”
Eli shot a look at the tactical display. If the positions and vectors were accurate, they were over two hours away from the scene. “I assume no one else is closer, sir?”
“No one with sufficient firepower.” Thrawn gestured to Lomar. “Senior Lieutenant?”
“The Sempre has identified its attackers as the frigate Castilus and two squadrons of V-19 starfighters,” Lomar said. “There may be more—the attackers have jammers going, and the Sempre’s transmissions are spotty. I’ve got my people scrubbing and sifting the recordings now, so if there’s anything else in there, we’ll find it.” He threw a hooded look toward Thrawn. “His last transmission said he’d been breached and was being boarded.”
“The attacking ships were reported stolen eight weeks ago,” Thrawn added.
Eli frowned. There had been something in the commodore’s voice…“By Nightswan?”
“Possibly,” Thrawn said. “The scheme was quite inventive, which could indicate his hand in the planning. But whether or not he was behind the theft, I do not believe he is involved with this attack. Overly violent attacks are not his usual style.”
“Styles can change, Commodore,” Faro said, her voice brisk and with a hint of impatience. “And with all due respect, I don’t see how the ships’ starting point matters right now as much as the fact that they’re here and they’re shooting at our people.”
Eli winced. Commander Faro had come with the Chimaera, having served as first officer under the previous captain. She was never overtly insubordinate, but she was never far from that line, either. Calling Thrawn’s comments into question wasn’t something a first officer was supposed to do, especially not in public.
But Thrawn merely inclined his head to her. “We are already moving at the Chimaera’s greatest speed to assist, Commander,” he said. “And knowing their origin may enable us to anticipate their goals and future actions.”
“It’s a troop carrier, sir,” Faro said, the edge of impatience still there. “I think their goal is probably to kill some Imperial troops.”
“Perhaps,” Thrawn said. “Perhaps not.” He gestured to Ayer. “There seems to be something of a mystery about this particular transport.”
“Yes, sir,” Ayer said, looking uncomfortably at Eli. “As I told the commodore, Commander Vanto, the Sempre isn’t carrying troops.”
“It’s empty?”
“No, sir.”
Eli flashed a look at each of the others. “Excuse me?”
“I can’t say anything more, sir. To any of you,” Ayer added, looking even more uncomfortably at Thrawn.
“Major Ayer has received a direct communication from Coruscant, but is not at liberty to share the contents with us,” Thrawn said. “Our orders are to deliver him and his stormtroopers to the Sempre while we deal with the attacking ships.”
“Understood, sir,” Eli said, an unpleasant feeling settling in between his shoulder blades. Secret communications that were outside the normal chain of command always made him nervous. “What if they need help aboard?”
“We won’t, sir,” Ayer assured him.
“What if you do?” Eli repeated.