[u9Xtw5]

Timothy Zahn, "Chaos Rising"
Вот, наканецта, книжка по ЗВ, которая на художественный текст похожа. И приятно про всякие тактические ухищрения почитать, а не про то позорное финальное сражение в Восходе Скайуокера. Тут, конечно, тоже фирменная ЗВ ебанца присутствует, но не до той абсурдной степени, когда уж за ней сюжет и персонажи пропадают, как в девятке.
Очень понравилась история Ксиллы, прямо такой олдскульной фантастикой повеяло. И маленькие замечания про чисскую историю по тексту интересно было ловить.
Трусливое лизоблюдство Килори что-то такое знакомое напомнило, моя прелесть. Интересно, его ждёт судьба Горлума - нечаянно поспособствовать падению его господина?
Поразило отношение чиссов к скай-уокерам. Конечно, если цена космоса для них - их дети, то ну что поделать. Но в том разбирательстве, которое Трауну устроили по поводу того, что он невесть куда скай-уокера и её опекуншу потащил, ни слова не было произнесено про то, что с детьми так обращаться нельзя, как со своими агентами, взрослыми солдатами может быть. Общественное отношение к ним - как к очень ценному ресурсу, будто уже давным давно чисское общество всё это отрефлексировало.
Во всех книжках упорно педалируется идея, что Траун в политике ничего не соображает, такая вот у него слепая зона. Раньше-то я полагала, что у него как у Шерлока Холмса, незнание по выбору, но тут вот затирается идея, что это такая оборотная сторона его военного гения - втф? Рассуждения в поддержку этого странные приведены... Хз, останусь при своём.
Укрепилась в решимости ознакомится с прочими книжками про Трауна из РВ! Хотелось бы ещё побольше про РВшную войну с вонгами почитать - по впечатлению нынешние канонные сюжеты по эпичности тогдашним вчистую проигрывают. Но посмотрела я на длиннющий список книг, и сразу расхотелось.

So he was a line leader? Impressive, but only mildly so. “Name?”
“Kivu’raw’nuru.”
Kivu. Not a family Thurfian was familiar with. - Киву'рау'нуру, Вураун

Kivu was about as obscure a family as the Chiss Ascendancy had ever spawned.

... all that the Ascendancy was, and all that it meant: order and steadfastness, security and power, light and culture and glory. It was an island of calm amid the twisted hyperspace lanes and the ever-changing pathways that slowed travel and stunted trade for all those who lived out there.

The Chaos hadn’t always been that way, or so the legends went. Once, at the dawn of space travel, it had been no more difficult to move between any of the stars than it was now to travel in the Ascendancy. But then, millennia ago, a series of chained supernova explosions throughout the region had sent huge masses tumbling at high speeds between the stars, some of them demolishing asteroids or whole worlds, others sparking more supernovas with their near-lightspeed impacts. The movement of all those masses, coupled with regions of heavy electromagnetic flux, resulted in the constantly changing hyperlanes that made any voyage longer than a couple of star systems difficult and dangerous. - происхождение Хаоса, очень любопытно.

He’d expected Thrawn to volunteer, of course. If there was one thing the man enjoyed, it was chasing down enigmas and working through puzzles. Add in his unique ability to see connections others couldn’t—and the fact that a large percentage of the Aristocra would be happy to have him out of their sight for a while—and he was the perfect person for the job.

Certainly the Defense Hierarchy Council’s annoyance at Thrawn’s actions had been the official reason for him being removed as the Springhawk’s commander. Not just his unauthorized action against the pirates, but also the subsequent death of Syndic Mitth’ras’safis and the loss of valuable alien technology. - эхехе, Сверхдальний перелёт - канон?( Буду верить, что не в точности как в той книжке написано, хотя староканонный рассказик Mist Encounter почти дословно в первую новоканонную книжку про Трауна вошёл, из чего можно извлечь позицию автора...

“Where’s Senior Captain Thrawn?”
“He went aboard with a survey team.” Samakro shook his head. “Damnedest thing.”
“The ship?”
“The captain,” Samakro said. “How did he know it would be here?” - айайай, про своего капитана так выражаться

“What do you mean, from their clothing and body positions?”
Thrawn shook his head. “I wish I could explain it, Senior Captain,” he said. “I can see it. I can understand it. But I can’t really put it into words. - довольно странное описание от Трауна его способностей

Wutroow—she’d certainly had her share of trust-me moments with Thrawn—but she also knew there was a point at which he simply couldn’t put his analysis into words.

He pointed down a hallway. “The history of the Ascendancy is in these rooms, some of the pieces dating back to Chiss participation in the wars between the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire.” - немного истории

“Some are from species we still have contact with, but the majority are from aliens we encountered during the Sith Wars, before the retreat back to our own borders. - немного истории х2

“Many of the aliens out here know about us, or at least have a general idea where we are,” Thrawn said. “Though our reputation often precedes any actual knowledge. You’ll note the Paccosh didn’t seem to recognize that we were Chiss.

As usual, the Great Presence was miserly with Its wisdom and insights, making for a somewhat slower trip than Qilori would have liked. Fortunately, the space in this part of the Chaos was relatively smooth, with only a few of the anomalies that made navigators like the Pathfinders necessary for long-range interstellar travel.

Qilori had never expected the Chiss named Thrawn to ever blacken his sky again. He’d certainly hoped he wouldn’t.

“I’m sorry,” Qilori said, staring at Yiv’s feet, not daring to raise his eyes to that jovial, implacable face. He was going to die today, he knew with a dark sense of his fragile mortality. The Great Presence awaited him.
Would he be absorbed and lost forever? Or would he be deemed worthy to ride the hyperspace ridges, guiding future Pathfinders through the Chaos? - немного навигаторских мифов

“Are you saying the regime is involved?” Thrawn asked coolly, turning those glowing red eyes onto Qilori. - "those glowing red eyes", ахЪ

“I’m hardly likely to forget it, either,” Thrawn said quietly.
Quietly, but Ar’alani could hear the hidden embarrassment and ache in his voice. “I trust you aren’t here just to scrub at old wounds,” she put in, hoping to draw some of Zistalmu’s attack in her direction.

The hatch slid open and Thrawn stepped onto the bridge. “My apologies, Admiral,” he said as he crossed to Ar’alani and Ilparg. “Apologies, Ambassador. My studies took longer than expected.”
“What studies were those, Senior Captain?” Ilparg asked suspiciously.
“Tactical data,” Ar’alani put in.
“Tactical data?” Ilparg repeated scornfully. “Is that what the Expansionary Fleet calls art these days?” -

“Again, you have no proof.”
Thrawn’s eyes flicked to Ziara. “Then let me obtain it,” he offered. “Let me go to the regime as a merchant or diplomat and find a way into their archives.

He waited in silence until Thrawn had left the room. “Your assessment, Senior Captain?” he asked, nodding toward the closed door.
“He’s brilliant, sir,” Ziara said. “Excellent strategist and tactician.”
“And his political shrewdness?”
“Poor to nonexistent.”
“Agreed,” Ba’kif said. “He’s going to need a steady hand, both to guide him and to prevent him from continually grabbing the wrong end of the fire stick.”

“It’s always worth taking precautions when facing uncertainties,” Thrawn said. “I knew we’d need to steal a ship, so I planned accordingly. Don’t worry, we’ll get through this.”

“So; another day and a half. I don’t suppose you brought a pack of cards.”
“Actually, I did,” Thrawn said. - готов ко всему

“Intent and motivations are irrelevant,” Thrawn said. “Judgment can focus only on actions.”

“I had an older sister,” Thrawn said, his voice almost too soft for her to hear. “She was five when she disappeared. My parents would never tell me where she went.”

But now there was something new in his eyes. A distant, well-hidden, but lingering pain. “How old were you?” she asked.
“Three,” Thrawn said. “For a long time I assumed she’d died, and that I would never see her again. It wasn’t until I reached bridge officer rank that I was finally told about the sky-walkers, and realized what must have happened to her.” He gave her a small smile, tinged with the same distant sadness. “And I’ll still never see her again.”

Thrawn smiled. “If I haven’t mentioned it recently, Ziara, you have a knack for seeking out and exploiting your opponents’ weaknesses. Very well. Shall we once again charge headlong into danger?”
“We shall,” Ziara said. “Besides, we’ve just survived an encounter with a malicious gas giant planet. Really, how bad could my family be?”

“What’s happened to our capital, Ziara?”
“The same thing that happened to the whole planet,” Ziara said quietly. “I’m sorry—I shouldn’t have done that to you. But you’re not supposed to know.”
“To know what? That the people of Csilla are gone?”
“Oh, they’re not gone,” she said. “Well, yes, most of them are, but the big exodus happened over a thousand years ago. What they taught you in school about how changes in the sun’s output and the slow freezing of the surface forced the population of Csilla underground is mostly true. What the histories leave out is that the numbers that were moved below were a far cry from the four billion who’d been living here at the time.”
...
“Where did they go?”
“Other planets,” Ziara said. “Mostly Rentor, Avidich, and Sarvchi. The Syndicure and fleet headquarters were kept here, along with a lot of the cargo and merchant facilities. Some of the families moved their homesteads to worlds where they already had strong presences, but most didn’t want to leave Csilla entirely.”
“They also moved underground?”
“Right,” Ziara said. “My family’s new homestead—well, new as of a thousand years ago—is in a huge cavern about two kilometers below the surface. Still on our same land, of course. The Irizi are a bit obsessive about territory and history.”
“So how many people actually live on Csilla?”
“Sixty or seventy million,” Ziara said. “Though all the official records put the number at eight billion.” She waved at the city around them. “All the rest of this is just for show.”
...
“So a few continue to live aboveground to create the illusion,” Thrawn murmured. “Light and heat are also maintained. Tube cars continue to travel across the remaining cities, pretending to be the traffic of a thriving population.” He looked at Ziara. “I presume that on the far side our tube will descend into one of the tunnels?”
She nodded. “There are a few hundred people in Csaplar at any given time. They’re rotated out frequently so they don’t have to put up with the conditions up here for very long. The rest of the city—the real city—is spread out in caverns, mostly concentrated around the Syndicure complex. More illusion for our diplomatic visitors.”

“But the viewports aren’t just because we like looking at the stars. There are lots of ways that sensors and electronics can be damaged or distracted or confused. The bridge officers need to be able to actually see what’s going on out there. There are also a couple of triangulation observation areas where other warriors can help aim and focus our attacks.” - визуальное ориентирование в обстановке - в космосе?! Не представляю.

“It’s no more than you deserve,” Zistalmu said. That had caught his attention, all right. A merit adoptive brought in via military service automatically lost the relationship when that service ended. A Trial-born not only kept the connection but if deemed worthy could advance to the status of ranking distant, where his bloodline would thereafter be incorporated into the family’s. “And of course, coming in at that status means you wouldn’t ever need to go through the Trials themselves. Your exemplary service has apparently been deemed an adequate substitute.” - справочка по чисскому обществу!

“The Ascendancy is your family,” Ja’fosk continued. “The Ascendancy is your home. The Ascendancy is your future.
“The Ascendancy is your life.”

“At any rate, I’ve already spoken to Caregiver Thalias and Sky-walker Che’ri, and both have indicated willingness to go with me.”
“You spoke of confidential matters to unauthorized personnel?” Ba’kif asked, hearing his tone go ominous.
“Sky-walkers and their caregivers know many things even senior officers sometimes don’t,” Thrawn said. “That said, no, I offered no restricted information. I merely posed the question of whether they would accompany me on a long-distance journey of unspecified destination and purpose.”

“You’re not only putting yourself at risk, but also risking the lives of the two women, one of them an immensely valuable sky-walker. If the whole thing goes crash-dive, are you prepared to have their deaths on your conscience?”
“I’m aware of the danger,” Thrawn said. “I would never want the weight of such memories and regrets. But I’m more prepared to see their deaths through my action than I am to put the entire Ascendancy at the same risk through my inaction.”

“They run their warships with machines?”
“Some of them, yes,” Thrawn said. “Indeed, if the reports are true, one side of the massive war taking place in Lesser Space is largely being waged by such droids.”
Che’ri thought about that. “Seems kind of stupid,” she said. “What if someone gets into the controls and turns them off? Or gets into the factory and changes all the programming?”
“Or if their intended programming leaves errors and blind spots that can be exploited,” Thrawn said. “The desire to minimize warrior deaths is futile if the war is then lost. - Траун про использование дроидов в войне

I cannot help but feel that he holds the key to the Ascendancy’s future, whether that future be triumph or ultimate destruction.” - эхЪ, если бы! Как бы мне хотелось эпика в ЗВ! Так ведь не покажут ничего...

Thrawn moved close to Ar’alani’s side. “Is there a problem?” he asked quietly.
“A problem?” She shook her head. “No. It’s just…I’ve never seen aliens as people before. Not like Chiss are people. I’ve always thought of them as something lesser, something closer perhaps to highly intelligent animals. Some friendly, some harmless, some dangerous.” She eyed him. “I suppose you’ve always seen them for what they are?”
“You mean as people?” Thrawn shook his head. “Not really. I see the people, certainly. But their personhood is seldom at the top of my thoughts.”
“Then how do you see them?”
His eyes swept the crowd, and Ar’alani thought she could see a hint of both thoughtfulness and sadness in his face. “As possible allies. Possible enemies.
“Assets.” - дадада, я прямо помню как мило Траун со всеми своими assets в Сверхдальнем перелёте общался

“You misunderstand them, General,” Thrawn said. “That will prove your undoing.

“Because you don’t understand politics,” Ar’alani said. “Politics, vying for position, feuds, grudges, ledger balancing—they’re all things you’ve never gotten a solid grip on.”
“But why not?” Thrawn asked. “I don’t disagree; but it’s all strategy and tactics. Just a different form of warfare. Why can’t I read it?”
“Because the techniques of warfare are relatively straightforward,” Ar’alani said. “You identify the objective, you gather allies and resources, you devise a strategy, and you defeat the enemy. But in politics, allies and goals are constantly shifting. Unless you can anticipate those changes, you can’t prepare for them.”
...
“Alliances can shift in warfare, too.”
“But it takes time to move ships and armies around and reconfigure battle lines,” Ar’alani said. “You have that time to adapt to the new landscape. In politics, it’s all done with words and bits of writing. Half an hour of conversation—less than that if there are bribes involved—and everything has changed.”
“I see.” Thrawn took a long breath. “Then I need to study this form of combat. Study it, and master it.”
“That would be helpful,” Ar’alani said.
Only he never would master it, she knew. Just as some were tone-deaf to music, Thrawn was tone-deaf to the nuances and intricate self-serving dances that made up the world of politics.
She could only hope that he and his overseers would be astute enough to keep him in the military arena. There, and only there, would he be of genuine and lasting value to the Ascendancy. - вот это странное рассуждение Аралани о неспособности Трауна к политике. И оно кажется ошибочным? Если принять его верным, все успешные политики должны были бы быть и успешными военными, даже и получше Трауна.

...conclusion—it would put Aristocra Zistalmu even more solidly on Thurfian’s side. Together, they would continue their efforts to derail Thrawn’s career before he did something the Ascendancy might never recover from.
And while they were only two right now, Thurfian had no doubt that more Aristocra would join them in the days and years ahead. If there was one love they all shared, above and beyond all the family politics and squabbling, it was love of the Ascendancy. - они не желают никому зла, он просто любят свою родину.

“And she got all that just from reading history?” Che’ri asked.
“That, and the way she looks at the universe,” Thrawn said with an oddly sad smile. “Where I see non-Chiss as assets, she sees them as people.”

“Her officers follow her with confidence, even eagerness. Mine follow me because they’re good Chiss warriors.”
“So change,” Thalias suggested. “Learn how she does it.”

“Do you assume, then, that there can be only one military mind that sees the Chiss as the prime obstacle to dominion over the Chaos?” the voice came. To Qilori’s relief, there seemed to be more grim amusement than anger in the tone. “No, Qilori of Uandualon. Had we been guiding Yiv’s efforts, instead of merely watching them, he would have been far more successful.”
...
“Yes,” Qilori said. “May I…if I can’t have your name, can you at least tell me what to call you?”
“Jixtus,” the voice said. “You may call me Jixtus. Make good note of that name, Qilori of Uandualon.
“It’s the name of he who will finally and completely destroy the Chiss Ascendancy.” - ну и что это, таки гризки явились? Или их слуги?