"Survivors Quest (Timothy Zahn)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Zahn Timothy)

The corner of Karrde's lip twitched. "I didn't know everything about you
when I hired you, either," he pointed out.
"Sure, but I was a special case," Mara countered. "I thought you knew
better with everyone else. Do we have any idea where the message originated or
who sent it?"
"Actually, we have both," Karrde said, his voice going even darker. "The
planet of origin was Nirauan." He paused. "The sender was an Admiral Voss
Parck."
Luke felt his forehead creasing, a strange sensation trickling through
him. Nirauan: Thrawn's private base, full of Imperials and warriors of
Thrawn's own people, the Chiss. The fortress he and Mara had escaped from by
the skin of their teeth three years before.
And Admiral Voss Parck, the onetime Imperial captain whom Thrawn had left
in command of that base before his death. They'd had a brief run-in with Parck
during their time on Nirauan, too, right after the admiral had tried to
recruit Mara to their side.
"I see that name is familiar to both of you," Karrde said. "I've always
had the feeling I didn't get the complete story of your little visit out that
way."
Luke could sense Mara's sudden discomfort. "That was my doing," he said.
"I insisted we keep most of the details from everyone except the highest-
ranking New Republic officials."
"I quite understand," Karrde said calmly. "Actually, with Parck's name I
think I can probably re-create most of the missing pieces myself. He was a
close associate of Grand Admiral Thrawn's, wasn't he?"
"Actually, he was the Victory-class Star Destroyer captain who found
Thrawn at the edge of the Unknown Regions after he'd been exiled by the rest
of his people forty-odd years ago," Mara said. "He was so impressed with
Thrawn's tactical skill that he took a chance and brought him to Palpatine.
When Palpatine himself later exiled Thrawn back to the Unknown Regions, Parck
was one of the officers who was sent out there with him."
"Exiled," Karrde murmured. "Yes. And I take it whatever Thrawn's true
mission was, Parck stayed behind to complete it?"
"Basically," Luke conceded. So much for the clever little cover story
Palpatine had created to explain Thrawn's departure from the Empire. But then,
Karrde had always been good at reading between the lines. "I wish I could be
more specific."
"That's all right." Karrde smiled. "I suppose the New Republic has to
have some secrets."
"Not that they have very many from you anymore," Mara said. "So what's
the story on this Dean Jinzler?"
Karrde shrugged. "He's a middle-age man, somewhere in his sixties. Quite
intelligent, though he's apparently never made much of a name for himself in
any profession or system. He traveled around quite a bit during the Clone
Wars, though the details of his activities are sketchy. He joined the
organization about a year ago with certificates in comm tech, droid
maintenance, and hyperdrive tech."
"Impressive credentials," Mara commented. "Doesn't sound like the sort of
person you'd stick in an Outer Rim Dead Zone station."
"Well, that's where it gets interesting," Karrde said heavily. "When I