"You may ask," says Thrawn. "But the answer may not mean a great deal to you." His eyes regard Dean with a cool, assessing gaze, difficult to read under the red glow. Thrawn has an aura to him, a mild warrior's calm. It always interests him to see how others perceive it and react to it.

Very few outsiders know anything of Chiss space. Even fewer know the name of the homeworld, or its location. Fewer still have even seen a Chiss not of military or diplomatic families. Chiss are very good at controlled information.

He toys with the new white bead, briefly, before dropping it onto its string, and slipping it back into a pocket.