[He is certain that they will assist. That their agents will succeed, as the Emperor is but one man— and all men must, inevitably, die. The truest test will come afterwards, when those assets depart and leave Thrawn to finish attempting to stabilize an Empire that has known nothing else.

He shakes his head, turning is glowing eyes on her once more.] If my attempt is unsuccessful, then I have the luxury of knowing that time will pass as it already has. And that I will, at the very least, be survived.

[That, of course, is the lie: to be survived not by one's own kind, or by those who are bound by deep set affection, is hardly to be survived at all.]

But I must not fail.