Fandom Star Wars: Demesne [Closed]

[Lucyfer]

Eli traveled with Ortell and Tobias once more, and he made sure they had their orders to see the four mercenaries escorted to cells. They’d be dealt with soon enough. Eli wasn’t sure if he’d be involved in that, or if Thrawn would do it himself – or assign it to others.

This was a priority, of course, but they still had plenty of things to do, and Thrawn had his own priorities.

Eli ended up in the same hangar as the Grand Admiral, and he saw the chiss waiting outside of his ship. Eli didn’t need to wonder why – he knew. He’d been around long enough, and so he didn’t hesitate in approaching Thrawn. “Grand Admiral,” he gave a slight nod, “I hope you got to enjoy some of the gallery,” he noted, “I’ve had the mercenaries sent to our cell block in the east wing, level D.”

That was the first order of business.

“Before this mess, Senator Paili Zelphari of Corellia arrived to see you. Unfortunately, I don’t quite know why,” he gave a shrug, his entire body language indicating his clear disdain and dislike of the Senator, as did the flick of his gaze away from Thrawn as he elaborated, “She only said that she wanted to meet the alien she heard so much about, and suggested it was about some issue Corellia was having, which is currently very outside of your jurisdiction and concern.”

Eli made his bias blatantly obvious, for Thrawn’s benefit, and for his own venting.

He knew Thrawn would look beyond his bias if he thought it was worthwhile – but making it obvious to Thrawn was at least being honest with Thrawn, as well. Thrawn would know to take some of what Eli said with a grain of salt.

~***~

“Oh, I see them every day,” Adlai answered, but took a rather ornate looking key from a pocket, “However, I have my own wing. We all do,” he put the key into the door to his wing, and opened it for them both, “They can’t get in. We’re all still very separate individuals trying to have a life away from home.”

Yet it was better to stick together.

They all knew that. “I’ll be certain to have a key made for you, soon,” he added, “Eira has one already,” it wasn’t hard, but the fact that it was such an old school thing meant many weren’t prepared to break in. After all the technological defenses, something like this was the last line.

It was the sort of humor the aristocrats had.

“Let me show you to where you can stay,” he led on through the entry hall after taking off his boots, portraits of family lining it that were either long dead, or back at home.

Through the living quarters, and around the kitchen. The sound of some servants could be heard, but none stepped into sight as Adlai led Skye back to a guest room in the colors of the Malvern house – greens and golds dominating.

 

[cleopat]

Thrawn watched the officers disembark from Eli’s shuttle. Tobias and Ortell emerged, and when they saw Thrawn motion his hand towards the exit, they took the hint and left the hangar. “Is that bet between those two still going on?” Ortell whispered.

“Oh yes, and I have some good money on them,” Tobias responded as the door slid shut behind them.

Neither one realized a Chiss’s hearing was far sharper than a human’s. Thrawn was aware of what they muttered as they left, but he didn’t concern himself with such trivial matters. The way he saw it, it was all in good fun, and it didn’t disrupt work.

“Commander Vanto,” he greeted with a slight nod of his own. “I did enjoy some of the gallery, thank you.” But there was that voice in the back of his mind that disagreed, that wanted to have spent more time with Eira, discussing the art. It had been a very pleasant, comfortable moment for him.

“Good work, Commander,” he commended. Eli’s quick actions and use of flash bombs had not only protected the priceless art, but also made it easier to capture all of the mercenaries in the room. Thrawn was also sure that it helped prevent any further injuries to the patrons, or even a death.

He would assign someone to interrogate their prisoners, but he also had the full intention of talking to them himself. Thrawn may be able to get information from them that they don’t even know they’re admitting.

The next bit of news should not have come as a shock to Thrawn. It should have been expected that given his new title and temporary residence over Coruscant, some senator or other politician would come to him for something. He had every thought to brush the Senator aside, but some thoughts come to his mind.

“Did she mention anything at all about this issue?” Thrawn questioned. “There’s been an increase in insurgents and rebel cell activities, and given the incident on Kashyyyk, we need to see if there is a pattern between each of them.” Scattered throughout the galaxy, one would assume they were only acting independent.

But if someone could convince them to pull their resources together and unite? That could prove to be quite the problem for the Empire. He didn’t want a repeat of Kashyyyk, or of the loss of civilian life on Batonn.

~~

Skye nodded at the simple answer. Good, she didn’t have to worry too much about the other inhabitants.

One eyebrow lifted at the sight of the old-fashioned key. It seemed rather odd to her, but Skye wouldn’t say anything. If it had worked for this long for them, then obviously it was doing its job properly. She nodded, adding in, “Just make sure I don’t get locked out before I do get that key.”

Not that the simple lock-and-key mechanism could keep her out. Still, she had to smile at the simplicity of it.

Skye followed beside Adlai, her wondering eyes trying to take in all the decor and portraits in one trip down the entry hall. A small frown tugged at her lips. So many portraits of family members. Kriff, I don’t even know my parents’ names.

It was foolish to think about something she had no control over, stemming from something as simple as the paintings in Adlai’s home. Skye swallowed the emotions building, optining for a wide grin when they came to the guest room.

“I do love the color scheme,” she mused, turning her head to look back up at Adlai. “Thank you, for all of this.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Eli nodded at the praise, but gave nothing else. It was unnecessary. He had done what was needed, and it had worked. Plus, Thrawn got to enjoy some of the gallery. Eli was glad for that. Thrawn didn’t get to go out as much as others, and Eli did think it did Thrawn good to mingle. To learn.

Eli’s brows knit together as he replayed the conversation with the Senator. He wasn’t going to lie to Thrawn. “She wasn’t all that interested in talking to me,” Eli said, “She indicated she wanted to speak about tactics that could be taken, or request troops for the issues on Corellia. She noticed a rise in the resistance, as she termed it, on Corellia, going from petty vandalism to something she considered more organized."

Which would fall in line with Thrawn’s concerns, and Eli sighed as he realized that Thrawn might take an interest in this, “Propaganda and media issues, as well as what she thinks are organized strikes and an organized cell. For Corellia, it wouldn’t surprise me if it’s really just one really organized criminal organization that doesn’t like her.”

Not multiple cells.

Not rebels.

“But she seemed to think it was something serious.”

~***~

“Well, if you do get locked out, you have my contact information,” Adlai reminded, standing back to let her check out her quarters. “You’re welcome. There’s a refresher attached, as well,” he gestured. “You’re free to change it up to be more comfortable, just let me know so I can move anything you’re not using, elsewhere.”

He didn’t know if she might want to replace the sheets or any decorations.

Eira never cared. She’d not bothered with personalizing any area in his home, even if they were a ‘thing’.

It didn’t surprise him – Jedi and attachment – except that her own home was rather personalized, even as small as it was. It was minimal, but it was all there, all carefully organized.

His was just…well, family aesthetic.

It made him think of home.

It made him miss home. He was stuck on Coruscant too often, too long.

 

[cleopat]

Thrawn furrowed his brows in concentration, soaking in the details Eli provided. “Corellia has quite the sordid history. These insurgents wouldn’t unite for just one Senator.” There may have to be more motives behind the move. One Senator removed wouldn’t save the economy of the planet.

Batonn. Kashyyyk. Lothal. Rumors of other cells. It all had to be more than a coincidence. There were the suspicions of those Eira kept close to her. Of Eira herself. He frowned. He had to accept that possibility.

“It seems I may have to have a little chat with Senator Paili Zelphar,” he decided, “since apparently she so desires to speak with me.” And Eli dealt with her the best way he could.

Already Thrawn didn’t like her. She showed up announced, demanding an audience with himself. From how Eli framed his words concerning her, Thrawn surmised she said something to him to upset him. Most likely an offhand insult.

Stars, he hated politics.

“Is there anything else?” he inquired. If Eli had nothing more to say, then Thrawn would allow him to return to his quarters for the evening, while he worked on preparing interrogations for the prisoners, and started on the notes from the witnesses.

~~

Skye glanced at the door leading to the refresher, and nodded. A quick rinse off sounded great, to help get the grime off from the fight. She didn’t see herself changing anything about the room. It provided her with the basics of what she needed, and like other Jedis, she was never materialistic.

Her life for many years wouldn’t allow that kind of lifestyle anyways. Everything she owned had to fit in a bag.

With a smile, her eyes returned to his face. “That you, once again, but before you leave, I suppose you don’t have any spare clothes I could borrow for tonight?” She gestured to the outfit she still had on from the party.

Tomorrow she could go fetch her stuff, but for tonight? Skye would rather not sleep in those clothes. “Or I suppose I could sleep with nothing on…” she trailed off with a nonchalant shrug.

 

[Lucyfer]

“If they’ve united,” Eli shrugged.

He wasn’t convinced, but he knew he couldn’t stand in the way of Thrawn investigating, even if he could shrug it off or tell the Senator to deal with the Imperial officials actually on Corellia or within that sector. Thrawn did what was best for the Empire, and Eli would let him.

In the end, they all sought the Empire’s success.

He shook his head, “No, nothing else,” he answered, “although the ensigns Tobias and Ortell acted well under pressure and with the necessary haste,” he opted to mention. No need to mention the cookies – Ortell had already been encouraged by Eli.

Best to let him figure out the when and how about showing off that talent on his own, and make his own impression. “I think I’ll like working with them in the future.”

It was all Eli had to report from that point, and he’d be glad to return to his own quarters to start winding down, after that, and prepare for whatever tomorrow brought.

~***~

Adlai allowed himself the mental image of Skye sleeping unadorned. It was a pleasing enough image, enough to heat his cheeks even if he maintained a relatively calm expression. No fluster, at least.

Though, he did let his gaze trail over her, “I believe I should have a few robes that ought to fit well enough,” they’d be too long, but he didn’t see that being a problem, “And some bottoms with an elastic waist that you should be able to tighten enough for your frame.” His gaze lazily trailed back to her face, “I’ll retrieve them for you. Eira never leaves anything, unfortunately.”

That might have been more to her liking, but alas, Eira took her things back whenever she spent the night.

There was no illusion in his home that they had the sort of relationship that was portrayed to the media.

Eira saw no need of that. The media didn’t step this far into their lives – it didn’t come into their homes.

“And I’d hate for you to be uncomfortable.”

 

[cleopat]

Thrawn took notice of Eli’s slightly disbelieving stance regarding the issue of these insurgents. “Remember, Commander, to never underestimate the enemy. It is a foolish move that has cost many lives in battle.”

He always referred back to the tragedy at Batonn to himself. No, he didn’t underestimate the intelligence of Nightswan and his insurgent group, but they may not have been the only enemy of his on that planet that day.

Since then, Governor Pryce remained on his radar. She was adept in the skills of politics, knew that he wasn’t, and he just wondered how far she took advantage of that knowledge every time they spoke.

Eli added one more note, this time concerning the two ensigns that had left the hangar just a few minutes ago. The ones talking about that ridiculous bet on Thrawn and Eli, but at least they showed enough tact to gain notice of Eli.

Thrawn, admittedly, knew very little of them. “Good,” he said with a nod. “I am glad to hear our newer recruits are exceeding expectations. I will go over their files, but I do not see why we can’t move them under your command.” Since they were still ensigns, he hardly imagined that they were of utmost importance in their current department, and the reassignment may help Eli in exercising more leadership. Not that he needed much.

“Oh, and for the record,” he added, “are you aware they placed a bet on that ridiculous rumor concerning the two of us?” The barest hint of amusement sparkled in his eyes.

~~

Oh, Skye noticed the light flushing of his cheeks. She didn’t need to use the Force to know he was imagining her without clothes, sleeping in his guest bed. And the way his gaze trailed back up to her face? She felt a great sense of satisfaction, and a little bit smug.

“That should work well enough for one night.” She could see her frame completely dwarfed by the size of the robes, but at least there may be a chance for the shorts to fit her. If not, then she may actually have to sleep naked.

Oh, to tease him about that if I do, that is the great debate.

“You are such a great host, making sure I’m completely comfortable.” She smiled, and one hand reached up to gently squeeze the upper arm of his non-injured side in a gesture of thanks. “I doubt you will ever make me uncomfortable here.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Eli smiled. “Thank you,” though he likely wouldn’t need the Ensigns to change up their routines much, having them in his chain of command could be useful. If nothing else, it let him move them about and explore their skills to some degree, so he could consider where to push them in the ranks.

He rolled his eyes a bit at Thrawn’s inquiry, smirked, “Yeah. They told me about it earlier. Not how they’ve placed their bets, but…,” but he could guess well enough. “We’re going to disappoint so many people.”

He was amused to hear that Thrawn was aware of it.

More, that he knew plenty of people on his ship were betting, and that Thrawn himself was entertained by it. “Not that they’ll really ever give it up.” Even if he and Thrawn both married other people.

He imagined the bet would go on indefinitely.

~***~

Adlai had missed some parts of being single. Available. Around a woman he bore an attraction to, who was making it painfully obvious that she held a similar attraction. The touch was one of those painful reminders of things he missed. Not often, but in moments like these, he certainly remembered, and missed, and longed, for more than just that friendly touch.

More than just those implication-laced words.

“I do try,” he dipped his head a little, “Tomorrow, we will have you properly moved in,” he added, lifting his head and a hand to rest over Skye’s, however briefly, “And we will work out the details of our arrangement a bit more then, as well.”

An arrangement that had a public element which would likely be a small frustration to them both.

Perhaps a large frustration.

Nonetheless, at least he was certain that Skye understood much of that. A rarity, and in so many ways, that meant the possibility of a future. His eyes gleamed. “I’ll go get those clothes now,” his fingers laced between hers as he stepped back and moved her hand off of his arm.

 

[cleopat]

The entire situation proved to be very amusing to Thrawn. At first, he wondered if his officers were so bored to create such a silly bet, but then he realized some of them actually believed more was going on between the two, and others just wanted in on the fun.

Kriff, that would violate so many codes.

Tobias and Ortell still held on to some of that mischievousness youth gave them, and for that Thrawn couldn’t ruin the fun. Besides, demanding the bet to stop won’t stop the whispers and rumors; the opposite may happen.

“Well, you may need to make sure someone bets correctly, and get a cut of the pool,” he said. If the game was over them, then might as well see if something could be earned. In this case, a few extra credits on the side.

Not that I should be actively supporting betting games on an Imperial ship.

“I must return to my chambers now and begin on some work,” he told Eli to let the man know he was now free to leave himself. “I send you anything of notice or importance as I learn them myself. Goodnight, Eli.”

His head nodded at Eli in a silent goodbye, and Thrawn turned on the balls of his feet to stroll out of the hangar.

~~

The warmth of Adlai’s hand sent a shiver down her spine. Skye had been alone for so long, deprived of touch in any form. The hug her and Eira gave one another during their meeting nearly dissolved her into tears.

She wouldn’t show how the touch emotionally affected her. “Good. Sounds like it will be quite the productive day.” Skye could ask him more on advice to not slip up in the public eye, like she did with Faro questioning her.

She may need a lot of help. What else do you expect from someone who spent many years isolated?

There was a nod of agreement, and Skye brought her hand back, ignoring the tingles his touch left on her fingers. “I know I’ve said this a lot tonight already, but thank you, again. For the spare clothes, for this room, for the job.” She took a step back further into the room, her eyes remaining focused on Adlai while a wide grin stretched across her face.

 

[Lucyfer]

The days passed by almost too quickly for Adlai’s tastes. Sunday was busy with showing Skye her new life, and getting her set up in his wing, while also helping Eira and Amita work out the legal issues with the company that sold him the armorweave jacket. He was also harassed by reporters who wanted his comments on Eira and Thrawn.

Which, naturally, he supported their friendship in all of those who actually got through to him and annoyed him. ‘I’m allowed friends.’ It was a complaint he was all too familiar with. He was certain he’d said similar things himself.

The media would take their joint responses and end up spinning it well to their favor – that their relationship remained as strong as ever, and that perhaps it was just a budding new friendship, with a Grand Admiral new to his role, who tried to protect a friend. There was still criticism on that end – no doubt, Shay wouldn’t be letting up on that soon – but the scandal was fading with Adlai’s voice added to the mix.

And with his own support of Eira’s relief fund for the families impacted by the Partisan attack on Kashyyyk.

“There may be many things I disagree with Emperor Palpatine about, but this isn’t about politics. This is about lives.”

To his own surprise, Leia Organa aided the relief efforts – and with that aid, came the request for Adlai and Eira to join the Organas on Alderaan. Adlai agreed, but Eira declined. She had made a promise, and she would keep to that promise,

So that Tuesday morning, he found himself showing Skye to the private hangar the Serenno natives shared, and introduced her to his own ship: “I know, I know, it’s a separatist ship, but I assure you I’ve upgraded her significantly,” he said as he gestured to the rather shiny Diamond-class cruiser. “This is the Tirra’Taka.”

Hard as diamonds

Hard as dragonscales. It was a ship made for defense.

~***~

Eira hadn’t slept much, between going over the logistics of working out a new relief fund, talking to Leia Organa about how she could aid the effort, and pushing back against a company that wanted to settle ‘out of court’ without so much as offering a recall of their product.

Needless to say, Shay was put to good use in blasting their name across the HoloNews under another pseudonym, pictures of Adlai’s jacket up, roasting their name and their quality. That was followed by an influx of pictures of people testing their own attire…and finding less than pleasing results.

The impact on sales was going to be harsh, and they were feeling the pain.

Amita was all but cackling with glee as she set down the new paperwork in front of Eira that morning, Nikhil sharing her amused smile as he leaned against the wall of his mother’s office. “Now they want to offer a recall on all their products to fix them – free of charge – if you’ll drop the suit, that is. Pun intended.”

Nikhil groaned, but kept that smile on his lips as Eira took up the new document. “There’s still a no disclosure clause. Do they think I’m an idiot?”

“I think so.”

“Idiots.” Eira continued skimming the articles of the agreement, though knew she wouldn’t sign anything. At this rate it would go through the courts. She eventually marked out the non-disclosure clause. “Tell them I’ll sign it if they remove that. I am going to disclose every bit of our agreement so they can’t backtrack on this recall.” The rest actually wasn’t bad, and she could throw all the money into the Kashyyyk fund.

She hardly needed it.

And pay Amita, of course.

~***~

The mercenaries eventually broke, all four of them. One thing they all agreed on was the world Cartao. Eli didn’t know the world, but a bit of research showed him it had a history with Grand Moff Tarkin and Vader, as well as the treasonous Rancit, who was executed after the infamous chase of the Carrion Spike.

The planet itself was host to an Imperial facility, but it wasn’t too remarkable beyond that. It shouldn’t be a haven for a crime lord, and yet apparently, it was where the one who hired the mercenaries to kidnap Breha resided.

A Sephi by the name of Proserpina, and no other information. Apparently, they hadn’t met her in person, so that could mean difficulties in even locating her – or proving she existed – but it had to be done, so Eli had the ship ready, and was waiting that morning in the hangar for his crew.

‘It’s too early for this.’ He thought as he sipped at his caf, sighing to himself.

He wanted Thrawn to come along, but he knew Thrawn had to stay behind.

 

[cleopat]

Skye easily settled into her new home and life. There was hardly anything to unpack, and she had no desire to redecorate the room. It was lovely just the way it was.

Adlai seemed busy that weekend between helping her settle and dealing with the legal issues surrounding the company of his armorweave jacket, so she did her best to stay out of his way while that was being dealt with. Besides that, she knew he was also dealing with harassment from reporters, and so she tried her best to offer help when needed, or just stay out of the way and continue to get things set up.

He wasn’t new to the public eye. Adlai knew how to deal with the reporters.

Their first off-planet mission came sooner than she expected, which she was excited about. They were to head to Alderaan and meet with the Organas, for reasons she did not know. While she had just met Breha a few days prior after helping to save her, Skye remembered meeting Bail many years ago, in a far different life.

Would he even remember me? They would find out, and Skye hoped it would only be a good thing.

At the sight of the Diamond-class cruiser, Skye let out a low whistle of impressment. “First you like showy capes, and now this shiny cruiser? Something tells me you love the flair for the dramatics,” she joked as she was shown to the private hangar and to Adlai’s own personal ship. “At least we’ll be arriving in style.”

~~

Thrawn did not suffer from lack of tasks to do following the gallery. The mercenaries faced interrogation, first from an officer he assigned, then from himself when the remaining two didn’t budge.

They did after five minutes with him.

Their answers led them to the planet of Cartao, an unassuming planet with an Imperial facility and not much more, but it did have a history between a small group of dissidents and Governor Tarkin. Thrawn had to remain near Coruscant, so instead he tasked a small team consisting of Eli, Cora, and a few others, including the two ensigns Eli seemed to like, in order to investigate the lead.

The consequence of the slander article on him was felt in the following days, but Thrawn easily ignored it. He even dared to think that the buzz was dying down, but the xenophobic thoughts would always remain in the Core. This no one could change, and Thrawn didn’t let it get to him.

He needed to finish going through the remainder of the recordings Faro took, but that could wait until the evening. There were questions Thrawn needed, wanted, to ask Eira about her response to their friendship, and about her relief aid to the families of the victims, and a few other questions he had a chance to think on in the last few days.

She was a damn enigma to him, and Thrawn just wanted some answers. For the empire, nothing else.

After a productive morning, Thrawn, posture more relaxed than he would ever allow in public, lounged in a chair next to his desk, typing up a message for Eira.

Eira,
I would like to ask you a few follow-up questions from the other night. Are you able to meet up in an hour or so?
-Thrawn​

Meeting on Coruscant would be better, though he hesitated to an exact location. They needed privacy, but somewhere on the Chimaera may bring forth too much anxiety. First, he would have to wait and see what she responded with.

~~

Cora didn’t expect to start her week assigned to a mission on Cartao, but she was not complaining in the least. The message came to her the day before, from the Grand Admiral himself, to prepare for the mission to Cartao tomorrow concerning a crime lord’s relation to the mercenaries from the gallery.

Between the Survey Corps’ interest in mapping the remainder of the jungle-heavy planet, and Cora’s own prior research into the planet, its potential untapped resources, and how it may help future exploration of other planets of similar characteristics.

Okay, she really liked looking at different rocks.

She knew the planet had an Imperial facility, and there were a few smaller towns not far from the facility. Beyond that? She wasn’t sure, maybe some smaller villages. Plenty of space for someone to hide.

Her excitement for an actual mission off of the Chimaera was the only reason she didn’t need any caf that morning. Still, Cora knew of the serious nature of the mission, and knew not to let her guard down while on the planet.

She had approached the door to the hangar just as two other officers approached from the opposite direction, fresh from the Academy, if Cora had to guess. She had seen them before, in passing, but hadn’t spoken to them yet.

“Morning,” she greeted with a nod as the hangar door slid open, and the two reciprocated, their grogginess evident in their voice.

They crossed the threshold, and Cora smiled as she spotted Eli, albeit obviously less awake than she was. She hadn’t been able to see him since the gallery, and while it was only a few days, she still had missed his presence. “Good morning!” she greeted with a smile.

The two ensigns behind her mumbled their own greetings.

 

[Lucyfer]

Adlai couldn’t help but laugh at Skye’s reaction. He hardly thought his ship was fancy, it was just made up to look fancy. It was no Carrion Spike or Empyreon, though it looked far fancier than the standard Diamond-Class cruisers. Of course, he had put in the work for that, and the interior was much more luxurious.

Still, knowing its base model, it was hard to think of it as much. “Just wait until you see Eira’s ship, then,” he offered. “Or Senator Saffia’s.” Now that was class. “Still, I can’t deny that I have a certain need to make other people aware of my presence.”

He was wearing a cape.

Green-lined gold.

It was definitely flashy.

“Come on, let me show you the ropes,” he offered as he lead on towards the entrance of the ship, and would then move on to the cockpit. The furnishings were all quite nice, leathers more than anything else, and it was pristine – hardly a speck of dirt.

Still, within the cockpit it’d be obvious it wasn’t exactly designed to fight, although its shieldings were fairly top of the line, and definitely far from the norm for this kind of shuttle…or any citizen shuttle, for that matter.

~***~

Eira’s datapad buzzing was nothing new to Amita or Nikhil, though her expression shifting as dramatically as it did was. “What? What is it?” Amita asked, immediately curious, as Nikhil just moved from his spot on the wall to try and look over at Eira’s datapad. She immediately shielded it and shot him a glare for the effort, but he just smiled and held his hands up.

It wasn’t as if she was going to hide it, anyways.

“Mitth’raw’nuruodo wants a meeting,” Eira answered with a sigh. She had expected this. It was why she stayed on Coruscant, after all. “I suppose it’s a good thing I didn’t have a production meeting today,” though she and Amita planned to get through a few more things in that time.

At least it wasn’t her fault production lagged for that week. Darius had a few things to handle, so the director was letting them all off the hook while he worked on set pieces and staging.

“Do you need company?” Nikhil asked.

Eira shook her head, already typing back her message, “No, Nikhil, stay here and protect your mother. Stars knows that armorweave company isn’t going to be happy.”

“Yeah…,” his expression fell a bit. His mother was always getting into messes. Of course, he was always there to make sure people knew better – but it never stopped him from worrying. Most knew better by now than to take the bounty on her head.

I can meet in an hour. Where shall I meet you?​

Eira was half-expecting the infamous Chimaera, expecting this to all be fairly professional and business-oriented. It likely would be for a bit, and though it still stung, she knew she’d have to work through it.

And she would.

~***~

Though Eli Vanto was awake, he was not ‘cheerful good morning with smiles’ awake. He stared at Cora for a moment, blinked, and then managed a begrudgingly amused, sleepy smile. “Good morning, Officer Suvan,” he couldn’t muster her enthusiasm, but he appreciated it nonetheless. “Good morning Ortell, Tobias,” he greeted them, just as well.

He might have to apologize later since he was the reason they were coming along. He’d see how they responded and woke up as they got on their way.

He stepped up onto the ship after everyone else, closing the ramp, “In brief, we’re looking for a sephi who’s known by Proserpina. That’s probably not her real name.” He added, “We believe she may be behind the incident at the gallery, and the mercenaries last knew her to operate out of Cartao,” though they had to be prepared for travel if she wasn’t there.

People did move.

And Eli could imagine a crime lord might flee if they knew someone was on to them.

Although, Eli thought it was a bit too easy.

“Ortell, would you get us out that way?” He didn’t mind trusting the ensign with setting the ship on course. “Officer Suvan, would you brief us on some information about Cartao? I’ve never been there.”

He doubted anyone else knew anything about it. It was, after all, why Cora was there.

At least he was pretty sure of that.

Unless Thrawn was taking a personal investment in Eli’s love life…which, he supposed, he shouldn’t discount. Faro had confirmed they talked about it, much to his chagrin.

 

[cleopat]

If Eira’s own ship was supposedly fancier than Adlai’s, then Skye would have to ask her if she could go on a ride in her ship. For reasons.

She laughed at Adlai’s admittance of intentionally being flashy for others. “Well, you certainly made me aware of your presence.” If only because he was with Eira that night they met, but she wouldn’t add that in. And while she did think that capes were very impractical (and very much thought that way about Count Dooku), she wouldn’t deny how she loved the look on Adlai.

Skye followed Adlai onto the ship, noting how clean and luxurious it looked. Nearly like no one ever used it. Stars know I could never keep anything this clean. “I like it,” she commented

Her eyes scanned over the cockpit, taking note of the differences in design and function from when she piloted in the Clone Wars. “With the amount of defense on this ship, you’d think we will be flying into the middle of a battle.”

But it was better to be overly cautious, especially when one’s hand was in politics. “I’d prefer if we didn’t,” Skye quickly added in. “I would rather not immediately see how well the shields can hold up.”

~~

Thrawn didn’t have to wait long for a response from Eira. She could meet in an hour, which gave him plenty of time to travel to the planet’s surface. But where to meet?

In a way of metaphorically extending the olive branch, Thrawn wouldn’t choose the place. He would allow her, so that she may relax some, or think it wasn’t a formal interrogation. Which it wasn’t, but in some ways, it was.

It was only a minute later before Thrawn typed up a response.

Good. If you do not mind, you can choose where we meet. I think I need to see more of Coruscant anyways.​

Once that message was sent, he sent another one to have his ship ready for departure soon, as well as one to Officer Faro, so that she may know to take charge while he was gone. There shouldn’t be any delay in leaving the Chimaera for Coruscant.

~~

Cora quickly figured out she was the only morning person in the group. It didn’t bother her though, as the others didn’t allow their grogginess to stop them from exchanging their own good mornings. They would wake up soon enough.

They all followed after Eli into the ship, where Ortell immediately headed for the cockpit to start up the ship, while Tobias took over the co-pilot’s seat for the meantime.

Cora stepped forward and nodded. “Of course.” She moved over to the holotable and powered it on to bring up a hologram projection of the planet of Cartao. Above the table’s surface, the planet appeared with details listed beside it.

“In terms of activity, there’s not much to Cartao,” she started, just as little indicator dots started appearing over the planet’s hologram to mark known villages and the Imperial facility. “The bulk of the population are at or around the Imperial facility. There are some smaller cities and villages scattered throughout the planet, mainly along the edges of the jungle, but most their populations remain small.”

Largely, the planet remained largely untouched by human colonialism. ”It’s mainly composed of thick jungles, which in the southern portion is used for rubber tapping, but there are some wetlands in the east and highlands in the northeast,” she said with a motion of her hand to each area detailed on the hologram. “It’s estimated that only around ten percent of the planet has been explored. Apparently thick foliage with plants and creatures that want to kill you don’t lead to much exploration,” she explained, adding a soft chuckle at her last statement.

“Most of my research in the past has been on this jungle, and ways we can attempt to discover what untapped resources are within without running into anything venomous or carnivorous.” For all they knew, an untapped doonium or chromium source could lay beneath the surface. “I believe there have been rumors concerning criminal activity in some of these villages, and if someone was smart enough? There could be many areas one could easily hide.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Adlai smiled, glad that Skye enjoyed the ship. He had thought some of her old hatred for the separatists would lead her to immediately hate a repurposed cruiser, but it seemed in this case she was willing to look beyond that. They moved to the cockpit, and he gestured her towards the pilot’s seat, as he moved to take the co-pilot’s. “Nothing fancy today,” he said lightly. “Perhaps after leaving Alderaan.”

He’d rather arrive on time, and in one piece, to Alderaan.

“I have to be prepared in my line of work, and the Empire won’t allow me the proper offense, so I’ve exploited a few loopholes,” Adlai admitted as Skye mentioned the defenses. “I’d prefer not to end up in a fight as well, but if we do, the shields should hold for a while – long enough to get into lightspeed and away, I’d hope, at least.”

They’d been tested before.

He hadn’t enjoyed it in the least. He was not a fighter pilot and never wanted to be a fighter pilot.

~***~

Thrawn’s offer was a surprise. Eira wasn’t sure how to fill about the offer to pick the location, given the questioning aspect of it. “At least that means it’s unlikely to lead to a trap or an arrest,” Amita noted, and Eira chuckled.

“I doubt that’s in my future anytime soon,” no one would know of her involvement in Kashyyyk by now. If anyone slipped, she’d know about it by now, but Rem and Maege had no issues or contact that would indicate such a thing, nor had Amilyn.

“Well, nonetheless,” Amita rose from her seat, “Pick somewhere open, a park or something similar,” she advised.

“Is that actual legal advice, or…?”

Amita smiled but shook her head, “Just advice, off the record,” she indicated, “I’ll get to work on having that clause removed.”

Eira nodded, and went over locations she knew in her mind.

The Imperial Gardens are usually quite nice. I’ll see you in an hour.​

It used to be the Processional Gardens, a public location outside of the Jedi Temple, just off the Processional Way. It was still a garden, and it was still public, but much about it had changed so far as decorations went. Still, it was beautiful, it was open, and it was public. A park of sorts, like Amita wanted.

Eira started to pack up her own things. She’d have to make a trip back to her apartment – these clothes weren’t as comfortable as she liked. Pencil skirts never agreed with her but she tried to look professional for the legal things. It helped put her in the mindset.

~***~

Eli listened to the information as Cora offered it, finding himself surprised at how, well, desolate Cartao sounded. For a place with an Imperial Facility, he had, admittedly, expected more. His frown deepened with his thought and the consideration that this sounded like it could be a significant amount of trouble.

Sephi were sometimes likened to mythological creatures known as elves – elusive, and extremely good at hiding in forested areas. Sure, there was one journalist who seemed to like to be right out in the open, though her name eluded Eli, but as a rule this rumor followed Sephi.

There was always a reason for rumors like that, too.

“Thank you,” he gave a nod as Cora wrapped up. “We’ll likely need any ideas you have about the jungles. I have a feeling this Proserpina isn’t going to make this easy for us,” he grumbled, arms folded over his chest. “Which villages have had rumors circulating about them?”

Eli thought he might be able to narrow it down due to proximity of other areas, but he needed to get the visual in his head, first.

 

[cleopat]

Skye took her seat in the pilot’s chair, and a smile beamed on her face as she took in the controls and the familiar set up. She loved flying, and it partially inspired her alias. “After Alderaan, got it.”

Her fingers swiftly moved over the buttons and switches, and the ship turned on. “Don’t worry, with me as your pilot, we can maneuver out of any sticky situation.” Would she rather be a fighter pilot? Yes, it was what she trained as, and she would rather have weapons at the ready in case the situation arose.

But Skye could also pilot on the defensive side. Slowly, the ship lifted, and she guided it out of the hangar. “Have you piloted before?” she asked, not taking her eyes off the controls or the viewport. “Or have you always been the one in the co-pilot’s seat?”

~~

Thrawn had finished readying himself for the journey to Coruscant when Eira’s reply came through. Taking his datapad, he read the response. A public location, but perhaps there could be more privacy than a cafe or gelato place. Less paparazzi.

That sounds perfect. I will see you then.​

Placing the datapad back in his pocket, Thrawn headed for the hangar, where his ship was already waiting for him, and his pilot ready to go.

The trip didn’t take long. He suspected he would arrive in the gardens with a few minutes to spare, which would give him an opportunity to gauge what is around the Imperial Gardens.

But they didn’t specify where exactly to meet, so Thrawn stood near the entrance. For once, he wouldn’t completely stand out, as he wore civilian clothes, in dark colors, and sunglasses over his eyes. They would at least prevent curious eyes from staring at him and Eira.

~~

Cora nodded in her agreement. “If we have to go outside any of these towns into the jungle, then there will be many elements going against us, including this Proserpina.” If what she heard about the Sephi were true, then this person may be able to use the jungle to their own advantage.

Lightly biting her lip, Cora turned back to the holoprojector. “Right now, it’s not specific villages, per se, but rather different regions. Fortunately, we’ve been able to narrow that down to small clusters of villages that are close together.” As she spoke, she highlighted the different clusters on the planet’s hologram. Three areas were lit up, all of which were in the southern and western portion of the continent.

“I’m not certain if the rumors of these locations are related or there’s more criminal activity going on than we know, but it will certainly leave much to be investigated.” She didn’t know how that would translate into their length of stay, but Cora, although she wouldn’t admit to it, didn’t mind staying longer on Cartao.

The prospect of seeing the jungle excited her, even if the danger was real.

 

[Lucyfer]

Adlai observed her as she went through the motions of getting things prepared. “I prefer not to fly,” he answered, “I can, but I don’t enjoy it,” not like some people. “I have pilots on staff, and a few good astromechs.”

The astromechs were more often in use, because he still preferred to do much of the flying himself when it was for things like this. The less involvement of outsiders, the better.

Even though Skye was technically an outsider, he had already made Breha aware of that. They’d find a way to step around it. He hoped.

Besides, he wanted to see how capable she was, and this ought to be a safe enough trip to do that. Not to mention in the midst of all this, it was probably better for Skye not to be on Coruscant. They didn’t know if there would be any follow-up. So far, there hadn’t been, from the gallery, but it could happen.

The more she was seen as his guard…the better.

“What do you typically fly?”

~***~

Eira had changed as well, finding a much nicer, pleated skirt of pink, and a white off-shoulder blouse. Casual enough, nice enough. The skirt still went to her ankles, even if a twirl would easily lift it – it was the entire point of it, to her, the artistry of having such skirts for twirls – but that wasn’t the point of it this time. There wasn’t to be any dancing.

Her lighter attire would contrast with Thrawn, who was not to be found in his standard white uniform, but in darker clothes. She almost didn’t recognize him, if only because she was looking for the white – but a quick double-take of the stranger in the sunglasses told her who it was.

She couldn’t help but chuckle as she approached. “Are you trying to pass for a pantoran?” Without the glowing red eyes, he may have been able to pull it off. The sunglasses were likely just for that purpose.

Still, it was a bit ridiculous to her.

And reminded her of the tabloids. “If you didn’t want to be seen with me, I’m sure I could have arranged a less public place, you know.”

~***~

Eli let his gaze flick over the highlighted villages, taking into account their proximity to each other, and to the Imperial facility. Nothing much in the North. He didn’t think that was coincidence. He had a feeling the rumors were connected. Many criminal organizations would have eventually gone to war with each other, dealing with such a small space to work with, or branched further out.

That would have drawn more attention.

This was one.

Still, he had to start somewhere, “Let’s start here,” he gestured to the highlighted area closest to the Imperial Facility.

He didn’t think they’d find Proserpina there, but he thought it’d be easier to gather information close to ‘familiar’ territory. It’d be a good way to get a feel for the world, at least.

 

[cleopat]

“Flying was a great use of my excess energy growing up,” Skye told him. Once the ship flew out of the hangar, she punched in the coordinates to Alderaan and entered lightspeed.

Once she saw the blur of the stars, Skye shifted her seat to better face Adlai. “I haven’t been able to fly much in several years.” She took a slight pause, thinking of how much detail she wished to give him. The Jedi in the Clone Wars were known to use a specific starfighter in combat.

But he knew Eira’s secret, and she trusted him.

“But I used to fly an aethersprite-class light interceptor.” Her voice had lowered some, as if afraid someone in the empty ship would overhear them. “When I was still technically learning how to pilot, I would perform all sorts of foolish maneuvers that would give my...instructor a heart attack.”

Oh how she missed him. “But don’t worry, I wouldn’t do that to you. Or to this ship.”

~~
Thrawn managed to spot Eira before she did him. He imagined that the change of clothes and glasses were the reason for that, although he didn’t see many Pantorans in the area.

When he first laid his eyes on Eira, he couldn’t help but to notice the flow of her skirt, and how her blouse bared her shoulders. Mentally shaking his mind clear, he nodded at her when she approached.

“This will be fine,” he assured her. “I just simply wished to blend in more.” The bright whites of his uniform certainly did the exact opposite. The less he stood out, the less of a chance he had at someone immediately noticing him. Noticing them.

It would still happen, and he will handle the gossip should Tarkin bother him about it.

“Please, lead the way,” he insisted with a motion of his arm. “I have never visited this place before.”

~~

Cora took note of where Eli pointed and nodded. “The main villages in that area are Patos and Pombal,” not that it meant much right then, but it would be useful for when they get there. “Normally quite an unassuming little village, at least according to the records I have.”

But if there were criminal activity reported there, then the inhabitants were doing a good job of hiding most of it.

“This should be fun,” she teased, turning off the holoprojector. Fun wasn’t quite the right word, even for her, but Cora would be more accepting of the word exciting.

Maybe none of the guys felt the same. Well, they certainly don’t seem like big morning people. Ortell still hadn’t said a word, and Tobias looked like he was about to fall back asleep in the co-pilot’s seat.

 

[Lucyfer]

It was almost too easy to imagine Skye as an eager padawan behind the console of a ship, and just as easy to imagine her spinning in it. ‘Her poor master.’ Adlai didn’t say it aloud, although his smile was tinged with both amusement and fear as she commented on her history with ships. It faltered a bit with her lowered voice.

There was no one to hear, but he understood what she was saying. The type of ship, the information, was so closely tied to the Jedi that it was difficult to speak of it…and she’d been living in fear for so long. Was still living in fear.

“I appreciate your concern. I might actually have a heart attack,” he joked. He wouldn’t. He did enough that would have given a heart attack long before now, if that was the case.

He wanted to ask her if she’d done much of that in the Clone Wars.

He wanted to ask her who her instructor had been. It was unlikely he’d know the name, but…he hesitated.

These were always things he let Eira tell him, rather than ask. Finding out had been good, but sometimes he considered an error to confront her on it. Perhaps it should have remained a question. He wondered how many others in their group assumed what she was, but never asked.

Confirmation was deadly.

“How have you traveled?” He asked. “I know you haven’t been on Coruscant long,” but if she hadn’t been flying or didn’t have her own ship, he wondered at how she’d been living.

~***~

Eira’s brows raised as Mitth’raw’nuruodo expressed he had not been into the gardens before, “Really? They’re so close to the Imperial Palace, I thought almost all officers had been through at least once,” though it changed quarterly, Eira still considered it something almost unchanging in presence. She’d seen plenty of Imperial Officers lingering there, likely waiting on something within the palace, or near enough to it, but not wanting to actually be at the location just yet.

It was also one of the few places that had much natural life.

Coruscant was the worst offender when it came to Core worlds and having limited nature. It had only worsened after Palpatine took over, though the Jedi hadn’t done enough to preserve nature on Coruscant, either.

“I suppose you have not been on Coruscant that long,” she allowed.

The gardens at this time were reflective of winter season on other planets. Without all the weather controlling technology, Coruscant would likely be in winter just as well, but modern advancements had made such things almost never occur on the Crown World.

Still, it was pleasant to see the various conifers, the pine-scent on the wind, along with plenty of smaller shrugs with bright flowers or berries that stood out even without a veil of snow. “It changes with the seasons, even though Coruscant itself never seems to,” Eira explained.

Benches were set out, and there were a few points spread throughout the gardens of more ‘ornate’ or ‘festive’ design. The fountains changed.

There’d be nothing to show for Life Day, the holiday that tended to be celebrated at this time. The Emperor could hardly allow that practice to continue. Instead, there were decorations more in-line with the Festival of the Stars, celebrated in early winter – the celebration of planetary travel, so there were orbs of light and other stellar decorations in place.

It made Eira think more of Life Day Orbs – but that was probably the point. It was a subtle way to replace.

~***~

‘Unassuming but highlighted?’ Eli opted not to question that. Perhaps the highlights weren’t equal, with some still having little to say of the criminal activity in the area. Nonetheless, it gave them a point to start, and the Imperials ought to help them get oriented to the situation of the planet.

At least, Eli hoped.

He’d been disappointed often enough to expect that, too.

His lips quirked in an expression of bemusement as Cora claimed this would be fun. He couldn’t quite agree. He was fairly certain it was going to be a headache, but he wouldn’t ruin her optimism. The planet would do that well enough. “Sure.”

He shook his head a little and looked towards the cockpit, “How long until arrival?”

 

[cleopat]

“I’ll try not to give you a heart attack. It would go against my job as your bodyguard to protect you,” she chuckled. While the urge to revisit some of her old tricks were there, this wasn’t the proper ship to do it in by any means.

One day though.

Skye could sense his hesitation. What was it he wanted to ask her? She almost wanted to say he could ask her anything in there, while they were surrounded by the void of space, but she didn’t. Maybe it was because she wanted to know more about him first. Maybe there was a part of her that still questioned him, even if a little.

Adlai asked her how she traveled. She shrugged, crossing one leg over the other. “Different ways,” she responded. “Sometimes I would hitch a ride with others, and sometimes I would manage to get my hands on a small ship.”

But she never kept it for long. She never kept anything that could remotely be used as an easy identifier for her whereabouts.

~~

Thrawn shook his head. Despite being trained at the Academy on Coruscant, and despite his visits to the Imperial Palace, he never bothered with the Gardens. He supposed he just never considered it, or had little time to do so.

“No, I have not been on Coruscant that long, and in the past, when I was on the planet, I was normally kept very busy.” The visits to Palpatine, the Academy with Eli, and now his current situation. But his casual conversation in the Gardens with Eira counted as what Tarkin wanted him to do, right?

Question her, learn more about her.

The landscaping of the gardens drew his attention. In a way, Thrawn compared it to art. The conifers, the scents, the berries on the bushes were all created to imitate winters on other planets. It was far different than the winters he experienced on his homeworld, as the planet was typically cold.

“Do you visit the Imperial Gardens much?” he inquired, his head turning from taking in the scenery to focus back on the woman before him.

~~

Cora took her seat on a nearby bench. If she had to guess, they still had a while to go, since Cartao was located in the Expansion Region.

Tobias didn’t answer Eli; he only looked towards Ortell, who had a better estimate. “About one hour,” he called back, and Tobias wondered if he could sneak somewhere in the shuttle and get a bit more sleep.

Cora sighed, dropping her posture some to get more comfortable. She didn’t quite know what to say in the moment. The two ensigns at the cockpit seemed to be relaxing, or maybe falling asleep…

Her energy wouldn’t allow that. “I haven’t seen you in a few days,” she remarked with a smile. “How have you been since the gallery?”

 

[Lucyfer]

Adlai could assume what happened with the ships. She abandoned them. Obviously, she didn’t keep them around long. It was a shame – but the Jedi seemed far better equipped than normal people to handle the loss of material items. Skye had already shown how little she held on to when she moved in.

“How…difficult is it to hide as you do?”

Eira gave him a different set of expectations, given how she’d managed her life. She’d dropped off the radar of the Jedi before that fateful order, though. He wasn’t sure how much that had to do with it, though.

He wasn’t sure how much the fact she was more of a diplomat had to do with it, or that she’d started to learn, and had been preparing for, a life outside of the Jedi, already.

Perhaps it was more significant than he thought. After all…there really weren’t any Jedi that came up in conversation much anymore. The Jedi at Lothal was a big deal – even in the Empire.

~***~

Eira gave an easy nod to Mitth’raw’nuruodo’s question. This was far from the line of questioning she expected. Perhaps it would be easy to keep it that way, “Oh, yes. I try to come out at least once a quarter to see the changes. Although it changes with the seasons, it isn’t always the same each year.”

She paused them and touched his arm before gesturing out to where a fountain was, “Last year, in spring, this was surrounded by bulb flowers. The year before, it was host to a large, flowering tree – no fountain at all. As I understand it, the fountains are often donated by other planets for presentation here, and then returned, or allowed to move on their tour. I’m not sure if the plants get such treatment.”

If that large flowering tree had been replanted, or simply killed.

But the pieces like these were at least moved on, not used for one season and then wasted. “It’s interesting to get a taste of seasons on different planets, particularly as my own home really only has one season,” she chuckled.

It wasn’t entirely false.

Mygeeto was an ice planet, after all. There was Ice Season, and More Ice Season, with an occasional Spots of Green Season. “It also helps change things up in Coruscant. Even I get tired of constant sunshine.” Not often, but she did like to see more, “Don’t you ever get bored of constant…well, starshine?”

~***~

An hour. Eli sighed, but dropped into a bench as well, across from Cora. He then rose right back up – there had to be a caf maker somewhere on board, right? And a bar to eat. He shouldn’t relax too much, or else he’d just be lackadaisical on the planet.

Eli paused as Cora spoke to him, though, “Busy,” that was the honest answer, “I had to help figure out where we were going, after all.” He hadn’t directly interrogate the prisoners, but he had worked in the background of putting the pieces of their interrogations together.

It led them here, and it led him to suspect information would be closer to the Imperial facility than any of them would like to admit.

He didn’t think the Sephi was as high as this went, a suspicion he’d shared with Thrawn, but he didn’t know where it moved to. Hutts? A well-known pirate organization? That was what he was there to find. “I’m sorry I haven’t had much time to come see you, but at least we’ll have this mission together, right?”

He then gestured, “I’m going to go find the caf machine, and another nutri-bar to eat,” he said, a small invitation for her to join implied if she wanted to.

 

[cleopat]

Skye took a second to think about her answer to Adlai’s question. She had been hiding for so long, that it almost came second nature to her at times. But in the beginning? There was a lot of trial and error, many nights spent sleeping with one eye open and her hand on her lightsaber.

“It was very difficult in the beginning,” she started, averting her gaze away, looking at the blur of stars from out of the viewport. “I had to completely change everything about me. I was afraid any little wrong movement, or any wrong word, would completely expose me.”

Skye changed her name, tried to forget much of what the Jedi taught her, did anything she could to make herself as far from the Jedi as possible.

Some days, she couldn’t remember who she was anymore.

Her eyes shifted back to Adlai. “Even though in some ways it became easier over the years, in others, it became harder. I was so exhausted, just wanting to stay in one place and finally be able to relax.” How long would she remain on Coruscant? Was it only a temporary thing?

A teasing smile crossed her face. “So naturally I somehow become a bodyguard. Totally a relaxing job.”

~~

Thrawn hadn’t experienced many changes of seasons before. On the only other planet he spent any amount of time on, Coruscant, there weren’t seasons, just regulated weather. Of course, on occasion the trees and bushes that lined the walkways would change, but that was hardly the same of what he saw in the Gardens.

His eyes flickered down to the point where her hand touched his arm, but he tried to ignore it. Thrawn looked out over where she gestured, a large fountain. He could almost imagine it surrounded by blooming flowers in the spring, a variety of pastel colors painting the landscape.

My own home really has one season. It was something their planets shared, for Csilla remained frigid and icy year-round. No part of his world ever had a green plant to bloom in its environment. “That’s something our planets share,” he said. “My homeworld remains quite cold year round, and it’s never conducive to any vegetation growth.”

The edges of his eyes creased in the slightest. Never once had he considered the monotony of the same sight out of the viewport, but did it bother him?

Just as quickly as the creases in his contemplation came, they smoothed out, and Thrawn looked down at Eira. “I suppose not,” he answered. “I see the vastness of space and imagine all of the planets that are out there, and all of the knowledge that still needs to be observed and collected. In a way, this...starshine soothes me.”

~~

Cora raised an eyebrow when Eli rose soon after he had sat down. Was he alright? She nearly posed the question before he responded to her earlier statement.

“We’ve all been a bit busy, haven’t we?” She offered a comforting smile. Well, Cora was sure she wasn’t quite as busy as the man who works directly beside Thrawn, but she had her own projects. And now they would finally see each other on a mission, instead of in their off-time together.

Cora took the hint, and stood up as well. “Maybe we can catch up over a cup of caf,” she offered. A quick glance to the cockpit assured her that Ortell and Tobias were not paying them any attention. The two were engrossed in their own conversation.

“I believe there may be a kitchenette somewhere,” she said, starting in the direction out of their main area.

 

[Lucyfer]

It was different.

Adlai knew it had to be, but he hadn’t imagined how much until Skye started to speak. Eira had several advantages that Skye didn’t. She had a family, for one, who while immensely disappointed in their daughter, and then confused based on what the Empire had done, still chose to support her and allow her to take on the name she had been given at birth. Allowed her to build a false narrative that they would agree with.

Their relationship with Eira was complex, Adlai knew. He’d never met them, and Eira didn’t go see them often at all. Distance was preferred by both parties, as she’d explained it.

He wasn’t sure if that was true.

But he knew they’d helped Eira learn to navigate society. Skye didn’t have that. “Thank you,” he said. He knew it wasn’t his place to share Eira’s secrets, but he added, “I know it was different for Eira, and I don’t communicate with many others besides her, so it is good to have a reference point for what you went through. What you’re still going through,” he said.

He went on, “Though the experiences are different, I hope you’ll still tell me if there is a way I can help, or if you have any questions about how things have been. I’ll do what I can. We both will,” himself, and Eira.

He almost said ‘all’ – but she wasn’t in that part of his life. “And to be fair, most of the time the duties of a bodyguard are fairly lax,” he laughed, “Otherwise I’d be in the news more often.”

~***~

Eira knew little of Mitth’raw’nuruodo’s home, which she suspected was intentional. He had not brought his home to the attention of the Empire, or his people, so she wouldn’t ask too much about it. Harmless details, though, like temperature, were interesting to know. His own home was akin to hers, and she wondered what it meant for his people.

He didn’t seem to have any more canine teeth than a human – a detail she wouldn’t question why she paid attention to, having looked too long at his lips when he spoke.

“It seems you have truly found your calling among the stars, then, Mitth’raw’nuruodo,” Eira consented. She knew she could handle monotony, she had done so for such a long time, but she thrived in change. She preferred new sights. She had, even as a Jedi, and had loved venturing off planet and learning more about new civilizations, seeing how they lived, and trying to understand it, just as well.

And so the question that came seemed only natural, “I am curious, though. Mygeeto wasn’t naturally a home to humans, and I do not think humans would survive long on Mygeeto without the immense import of foods from the wider galaxy,” this much was true, the lurmens had it a bit easier, until…well, until humans. “On your home, are there enough surrounding planets to provide such things, or are you more adapted to a vegetation light diet?”

He had the features of an omnivore, obviously.

And she wasn’t sure if natural curiosity, or curiosity for places he might like to dine at, was the better excuse.

~***~

Eli would follow after Cora as she got the idea that sustenance was desired, or at least caf. Something to keep helping him wake up, and allow them to catch up, as well. He might have to remain standing so he didn’t drift off, but he was used to this, at least. Long days at the Academy had trained him for this, as did so many days working with Thrawn.

They found the little kitchenette and Eli went to work preparing his cup of caf, “Do you want one?” He asked Cora, not sure if she might. She certainly didn’t need one.

Either way, as he moved through the process, he did ask, “I’m sorry that I haven’t come around to see you more. When Thrawn gets focused on something, I get wrapped up in it, too.” A good thing, in some ways, but it certainly meant he forgot some things, like a social life, or anything outside of the project he was focused on.

He had learned that acting with calculated haste was to their advantage. Letting a lead get cold often meant more frustration down the line, that would last even longer, and cause more problems for the Empire. For them, personally.

 

[cleopat]

Skye almost felt exposed, even if she didn’t divulge that much information. She resisted the urge to wrap her arms around herself in some form of self-protection. Adlai, she could trust. She just knew it.

She would even say the Force wanted her to know. Or maybe she had been so desperate to finally tell someone of who she was.

It surprised her that Adlai had thanked her in sharing what she wanted. It had brought a small smile on her face as she fiddled with her fingers. “And thank you,” she said, “for all of this.” And she wanted to thank Eira as well, for being the reason Skye wasn’t hopping to another planet by then.

The slight change in topic was welcomed, and her demeanor brightened some as a result. “Well, I’m glad for that. Can’t have the job too difficult, can we? Just smile and stay pretty,” she teased.

Skye turned her head to the side and looked back at the other furnishings behind the cockpit area. “Weren’t you going to give me a tour?” At that, she rose to her feet and walked a few steps towards the main area.

~***~

He didn’t mean for it to happen, but Eira’s statement, that he had found his calling among the stars, brought a smile to his face. He didn’t know why it did. The truth of the statement? The fact the words came from Eira? But then that led him to the thought, why did it matter if they came from Eira?

His line of thoughts were interrupted by Eira’s melodical voice. “A fair question,” he commented, clasping his hands behind his back as they slowly strolled. “The majority of our imports are foods from other planets, though we do have facilities dedicated to growing our own food.” But they still get most of their food from neighboring planets, especially vegetation.

“And there are some creatures native to my world that are haunted for food,” he continued. Like many other ice planets, they made the best of their natural resources, and established strong deals with other, more temperate planets for what else they needed.

His eyes looked down at Eira. “What do you miss about Mygeeto?”

~~

Cora knew she didn’t actually want a cup of caf. She just wanted an excuse to talk to Eli more. “Oh, no thank you,” she said. She may get a small bite to eat though, in case the mission on Cartao lasted longer than initially thought.

Her eyes followed him as he went through the motions to make his caf. “Oh, you know you don’t have to apologize for that. Solving who hired those mercenaries is pretty important right now.”

And she felt nearly helpless that there wasn’t much she couldn’t do in the investigation, until she was assigned to the mission.

“Did you miss me that much?” Cora teased. Though the question was lighthearted in nature, her eyes focused on his face to gauge any reaction.

 

[Lucyfer]

“I’m the one who smiles and stays pretty,” Adlai laughed, though he supposed that was also the hope for all his bodyguards. That they didn’t have to do anything. He didn’t want them getting hurt. If they were frivolous, that was all for the better. He knew better than that, though. It always happened, inevitably.

He was an enemy of the Empire.

Adlai didn’t recall offering a tour, but he wasn’t opposed to it. He rose with a shrug of his shoulders. “It’s not much different from other ships,” of course, he didn’t know how much different it would be from her experiences, and so he followed her out to the main area, which was something of an open lounge with cushioned benches, a table, and some other limited furnishings and cabinets.

“There’s a kitchen further down, with a terrarium,” both for oxygen cycling, as well as food. It was actually a rather large terrarium, or so he’d been told. Eira had liked it simply for the natural space it added, and ended up implementing something similar in her own ship. “There’s about four bedrooms, though one is being used for storage space right now, mostly fuel,” but there were crystals and some other ship necessities, as well. “There’s a fresher between the bedrooms.”

Another necessity.

~***~

Mitth’raw’nuruodo’s people had a thriving relationship with other planets. Others, in Wild Space, that the Empire likely knew little to nothing about, given none seemed to have pointed the Emperor in the direction of his frigid planet. Eira couldn’t help but wonder how things were out there.

How was the Force viewed?

Had any Jedi run that way?

But of course, she couldn’t ask such a thing – but she didn’t hide the fascination that Mitth’raw’nuruodo was from almost another universe, given it was outside of all they knew here, but had a thriving system.

Eira didn’t even stumble over his question – she knew what she missed of Mygeeto. “The planet has beautiful crystal towers on it. Natural, for the most part,” at least so far as their height, “Some of them, you can even walk right into and explore,” though most weren’t fit for humans, but for lurmen instead, a few had been carved a bit more for human and other species to move between them. “They’re mostly abandoned now, but I always liked to explore them, and they’re beautiful to look at.”

Like the gardens, she could walk through the remnants of the towers, and enjoy them just for what they were. “Does your home have much in the way of crystals or crystalline structures? It seems a common theme of ice planets I know of.” Something she had learned as a Jedi, as well.

Mygeeto and Ilum had kyber in common. The towers weren’t kyber, so they didn’t interest the Empire. Yet, anyways.

~***~

Eli knew he didn’t need to apologize, but he felt better about ignoring others, too. Of course, it was Cora he felt the most bad about ignoring, especially since they’d only just begun to get to know each other. He didn’t want her to think anything was wrong , or that he didn’t want to spend time with her.

He was a bit flustered by her question, no matter how playful it was. Knowing that Faro had talked to her made him wonder if this was some special kind of torture as his cheeks went red.

“I did miss you,” he said, “I mean, we were starting to get a routine going, and I was getting used to seeing you, and enjoying seeing you,” he wasn’t sure if the clarification was good, or bad. Still, he lifted his caf to prevent any further word spillage, taking a sip, realizing he did not put sugar in it, and quickly lowering it to lighten it up with some sugar and cream before he did that kind of stupid thing again.

 

[cleopat]

Her light eyes scanned over the open lounge, taking note of the cushioned furniture. Early she had thought that they looked like they’ve never been sat in, and she still held that thought. “But I don’t think it’ll be terribly hard for you to stay pretty.”

Though, if Skye were more serious, she would describe him beyond just pretty.

“A terrarium?” she repeated with intrigue. That wasn’t something she saw on every ship she traveled with. “And four bedrooms?” With one as a storage space.

Skye made a hum of impressment. Although not much bigger than other ships used for diplomatic travels, the interior was quite nice, and while Skye mentioned a tour, she could help but to plop down onto one of the cushioned benches.

“Oh, this is nice.” She leaned back, making herself as relaxed and comfortable as she could. “How often do you travel as opposed to staying on Coruscant?”

~~

Thrawn had listened intently to how Eira described her homeworld. With the ease at which she answered suggested that she had been thinking about Mygeeto for a while, and she was confident in what she missed. Most ice planets remained the same, utilizing what they could of the planet for resources.

In that way, Mygeeto and Csilla were quite similar.

And so, he saw no reason to not give her a little more information about his planet. “In a way, yes. Most of our cities are built underneath the ice, with a series of connected underground tube transports that linked the cities together.” And their cities beneath the ice created a warm pocket for the Chiss.

“I believe there are some smaller cities on the surface, but with the harsh climate, I do not see it as feasible.” Or sustainable. But, then, why settle on any ice planet to begin with? Because it happened, and that was their life.

~~

Cora immediately took notice of the blush, and she smiled at his response. Not in any teasing way, but in a way that signified her happiness in how he reacted.

Sensing his nerves, or what she interpreted as such, Cora gently placed her hand on his forearm. “I missed you too.” This time, she felt some heat in her cheeks. “Things were getting a little too quiet, and I enjoy spending my time with you.”

She recalled how Faro mentioned that she and Eli talked about Cora before, how he wanted Faro to talk to her for him. Did they have any time to talk in those following days? Both Faro and Eli did work closely with the Grand Admiral.

“And we get to make up that missed time today.” They wouldn’t quite be talking to get to know one another while on the mission, but she could still see him, and see him as the commander who Thrawn trained.

 

[Lucyfer]

“Thank you,” Adlai accepted that he was easily pretty with grace, “I do wake up without too much to do,” his hair was short enough that it needed little minding. Of course, he spent time with some exercising and dressing well, so he did put work into it…just not the rigorous morning routine he knew some people had.

Or not the typical one, anyways.

Adlai nodded at the echo of terrarium, “It’s a good way to cycle and replenish oxygen,” he offered, “it doesn’t fully replace the life systems, but it aids them.” He smiled as she sat down, luxuriating in the comfortable environment rather than traveling down to see more of it.

He shrugged, “I need rooms for my guards, and Eira when she joins,” they weren’t sleeping together, and he wouldn’t impose such a thing. “I do travel often enough,” too much, really, “senators still keep up the common practices of bribing and threatening each other, and what better place to do that than one’s home?”

He shook his head a bit and strode forward to join her on the bench, “This trip shouldn’t devolve into either.”

~***~

Eira was intrigued by the thought of underground cities. Perhaps that helped the chiss stay unknown to the wider galaxy – their civilization wouldn’t be easily seen by anyone happening by, and most would avoid an icy planet. “That sounds like a fascinating way to go about the painful winds that can hurt your face. I certainly approve. Mygeeto isn’t so clever,” she allowed with a chuckle.

Oh, if only they were.

Perhaps the lurmens would have had a better life if they didn’t live in towers.

“I certainly don’t miss that,” she said, shaking her head a bit in reflection of that terrible wind. She remembered even more on Ilum, though that had been her first experience with an ice planet, and it had been terrible. “Though I will admit, I prefer it to planets like…well, Tatooine. Have you ever been there, or to any desert planets, yet?”

An easy way to drift from Mygeeto. From Mitth’raw’nuruodo’s home, as well.

~***~

Though Eli’s blush was far from fading, he relaxed a bit at the touch. It was a good sign. And she missed him as well. He paused in fixing his caf to give her more of his attention. “Well, some of it, anyways,” he agreed, “We can’t exactly do any sparring practice here,” he joked, shifting back to finishing up sweetening his caf.

“Still, I am glad to get to work with you,” he said, “I know you’ll be easier to work with than…some I’ve dealt with.”

Not Ortell or Tobias. He suspected once the pair of them woke up a little more, then it’d be good to go. He had to wake up a bit more himself, too. Plenty of people with Thrawn were competent, but it was still a fairly large ship, and Thrawn had to keep plenty of his competent people by his own side as he investigated matters on Coruscant.