While recovering from earlier wounds, Luke meditates on what to do next. He has a vision of the future and sees a space battle and as well as Mara lying seemingly dead in a pool of water. He wakes with a new direction in which to search.

While looking through Bothan records, Leia and Han encounter a large demonstration. Han steps outside to investigate. Navett and Pensin, employees of Disra are waiting to execute a Bothan leader, but are thrilled to see Han as well. Leia senses the attack too late and a blast hits the balcony. She grabs her lightsaber and enters the attack. Han and the Noghri also come to her aid. Many Bothans are killed and an Imperial device is discovered that helped trigger the attack.

Luke arrives at the Grand Rim Promenade on Cejansij. Upon doing so he feels an evil flicker in the force and sees a dozen shrouded figures approaching nearby with blasters. A frightened old woman and a small child are caught in the middle. As the assailants prepare to fire, the child suddenly attacks! The hood falls revealing the child to actually be a Noghri. Afterwards, the Noghri reveal they work for Talon Karrde. Luke learns that Mara Jade has been kidnapped chasing one of the mystery ships he had seen earlier. Luke leaves to find her.

While playing a game of sabacc on the Lady Luck, Lando and others are caught in a tractor beam and captured by an Imperial Star Destroyer. On board, they are brought before Thrawn. Thrawn tells them that the current crisis can be resolved by simply asking for his help.

Senators debate whether or not to launch an all out attack on Thrawn. There are heated arguments on both sides, including many who do not even believe that Thrawn has actually returned. The Senators are divided and fighting amongst each other just as the Empire had hoped.

Han, Leia, and Lando secretly meet with Talon Karrde to tell him the news of Thrawn. They debate whether it is a trick, and how it could have been done. Was it an imposter, a clone, or the real thing?

They discuss that ending the Caamas issue was important so the New Republic could focus its attention to Thrawn instead of the infighting. Karrde tells them that the only sources of the real information were under Imperial control, including their secret base on Bastion. Lando implies that Karrde knows more than he is saying and the two meet in private. They do not realize that a spy named Shada D'ukal is listening in.

They discuss a secret Karrde doesn't want out. It involves his association with a smuggler named Jorj Car'das. Lando believes that Jorj would be able to assist them in getting the information they need. Karrde is not sure that Jorj would welcome a visit from him, even if it was to tell him that Thrawn was looking to track him down. Mara Jade had already been sent looking for him and not returned. Lando says he'll follow her path, but after a bit of fast talking Karrde agrees to go instead.

As they return to the group Shada follows them and walks right into the room surprising them. She is the former chief bodyguard for the smuggler Mazzic and wishes to join the New Republic on its search for information. She tells them a story of how she helped the Rebellion retrieve information on the second Death Star many years earlier. Han verifies her story. Lando suggests she tag along with Karrde on his mission to retrieve an previously unknown third copy of the Caamas information they need. Karrde also tells them that Mara has disappeared while chasing after one of Luke’s mysterious ships (although Luke had yet to tell them about the ships).

After receiving a distress call from Bothawui, Rogue Squadron is on its way to support when it runs into a Leresen attack force. They are looking to revenge the death of 2 of their own killed by Bothans during a recent riot. After brief unsuccessful negotiations, Wedge decides to intercept the Leresen force, but Rogue Nine, using Jedi powers, warns him not to lock s-foils into attack position. The Squadron has been booby trapped! They are left to watch as the Leresen force attacks and destroys the approaching space station.

Now that the shooting had started, many in the Senate state that they too have demands of the Bothans for their hand in Caamas. Leia and Han fear the worst has not yet happened unless they can find the names of the actual Bothans involved. Between the Bothan shooting and Thrawn allegations, both are on the bad side of Chancellor Gavrisom at the moment and Han thinks the two should get away for a while on some less hostile New Republic relations. She agrees and they depart for more peaceful surroundings.

Onboard the Chimaera, Admiral Pellaeon and his crew are attacked by several heavily armed unknown ships. Pellaeon sends out a squadron of Preybirds to defend the ship. Using the Preybirds as a distraction, he launches three torpedoes into the attacking fleet. The counter-attack is successful and Pellaeon suggests using the Predictor to determine who it was. Since it couldn't work in advance of an attack, perhaps the Predictor could work in reverse to determine who the attackers were. Pellaeon believes that the attack was meant to have them think that the New Republic had rejected their proposal and was now attacking him.