"Of course."

Mara scowls and steps back, fingers drumming nervously on her holstered blaster.

And she - cautiously - gets into a position to spy on the compound, favoring staying hidden over getting a better view.

The leader of the Imperials is in fact a blue-skinned alien in a white uniform. He's speaking with Karrde in front of the hall, his stormtroopers arrayed to either side in a formal rather than threatening guard position.

Yeah, that's Thrawn - she'd known he was with the Imperials, but he didn't send an underling here... Suggesting that whatever deal might be important to him...

He's observant enough she needs to be extremely cautious. There's a decent chance he might get that Karrde has guests off of him even without Karrde intentionally betraying them...

Thrawn is focusing intently on Karrde, who seems to be bearing it well.

The Grand Admiral tilts his head, asking a question. Karrde pauses a moment before answering.

"I did not expect a Chiss," Occlus says quietly.

"He's - unusual, even for a Grand Admiral," she says, equally softly.

"He must have forgone his rank in the Ascendancy... Are there others?"

"I'm not aware of any others of his species."

"They do tend to keep their people close in hand. Very interesting."

"Do you know much about them?"

"We had a loose alliance. The Chiss inhabit a region well off the main hyperspace routes to the rest of the galaxy, but they keep watch on a wide buffer zone, upon which some of our interests were beginning to infringe."

"If they're off the main hyperspace routes, that might explain why the galaxy seems to have lost track of them. We've been - very focused inward, of late."

"Quite."

Karrde and Thrawn seem to be wrapping up their discussion. The Imperials are getting back on their shuttle.

She makes sure their current position is still hidden even from the air, drawing back a bit - no sense risking things.

Does Thrawn leave entirely?

Seems like it, with the way he gets into the shuttle and it flies away and all.

Though with a Grand Admiral you can never quite be sure.

Hm.

It's certainly plausible he's still spying on Karrde... She won't move her ship, but a person emerging from the woods shouldn't be too suspicious. She'll give it a bit of time, so she's not coming out on Thrawn's heels.

Also - 

To Mara Jade, voice light: "Will Karrde want us to stay hidden much longer, do you think?"

"Sit tight until someone comes to get us," she says.

"Alright."

It's about fifteen minutes more until Karrde himself comes over.

She waits.

"Visit go well?"

"As well as one with the Imperials can ever go. I did not tell him you were here."

"Thank you. That would have gotten awkward quickly."

"Something we'd all prefer to avoid, I'm sure. So, I believe you wanted excavation equipment?"