Fandom Star Wars: Demesne [Closed]

[Lucyfer]

With Kanan on the defensive, it wasn’t hard to shift gears and protect against Hala’s blows without much concern for Kanan. The two quick strikes were met with either end of his lightsaber, though the move at his wrist did cause him to have to back up a step.

Kanan’s action was a surprise. He was able to block by spinning his saber, but he didn’t like the position of being flanked by two Jedi, particularly one with a blaster-saber. He took a moment in those shots to leap back and over Hala, to get a better position.

He’d leapt at the time of Kanan’s swipe, and once his feet landed, rather than rush at either of them, he threw his spinning saber at the pair of them, with plans to call it back shortly after it passed them, to attempt a second strike at them and get it back into his hands.

~***~

Eli was warmed further by the silent gesture of Cora leaning further into him, and setting her head on his shoulder. It was nice. Pleasant. He found it to be relaxing, which was good as it helped to settle his nerves and constant thoughts about whether or not he was doing things right. Now he was a little more certain he was on the right track, as he let his cheek rest lightly against Cora’s head.

The film had lost some of its allure, although he was pretty certain this wasn’t exactly the right time to just turn to Cora to kiss her, either. They still…hadn’t exactly had a first kiss, and that seemed like a poor beginning.

Even if he did consider it.

In his attempt to refocus, he adjusted his posture a bit, letting go of Cora’s hand, to wrap it around her shoulders to make sure she didn’t go too far away from his movements, or get the wrong idea when he moved.

He wasn’t at all wanting her to go further from him.

~***~

‘He’s not confirmed….’ Ae’lia could hardly stop the sensation of hope as it rose with Ahsoka’s comment. It was foolish, and she knew that. There were probably plenty of Jedi who died and weren’t confirmed. It had been a war, after all. Getting bodies wasn’t always easy, let alone bodies that could be identified.

But she’d never felt his death in the Force.

Somehow, she thought she’d know, for sure, if he ever passed, no matter her status with the Jedi. They’d been bonded. ‘There were a lot who died, all at once.’ She reminded herself, to try and temper that. Picking out one, of thousands, was a feat probably too great for even Master Yoda.

“There must not be many not confirmed if you knew his name off-hand,” Ae’lia knew that wasn’t a good thing, and she wondered who the others were, but she shook her head, “best I don’t know too much on that, for now, I think.” Otherwise she might start her own searches, and leave behind what she needed to do.

She could let Ahsoka handle it.

But…maybe she could try and do some searches.

 

[cleopat]

The fight needed to end soon. Kanan was emotionally compromised, and Hala wanted things to end before either her or Kanan got injured.

And there was the matter of the rest of the crew. Were they okay? Were they simply waiting for them to return? Oh, poor Ezra. And they needed to be told of Ezra.

Hala backed up as the Inquisitor jumped over her to land back behind her, and when he threw his blade at them, spinning in its blur of violent red, both received the idea to strike at the blade, either in attempt to stop it, to slash the handle, or to send it careening down into the reactor core.

If successful, both would immediately strike at him once again, Kanan with the blaster and Hala with another strike aimed at his torso.

~~~

All Cora focus on was the warmth that radiated from Eli’s body, and when she felt his cheek rest against her head, she bit back a stupid grin, even if he wouldn’t be able to see it due to his position and the darkened room. Still, maybe he would’ve been able to feel it.

Though she did worry when his hand pulled away from hers. Did she do something wrong? But her question was soon answered with his arm around her shoulders.

Oh, that was much better.

Cora snuggled back into Eli, her hand lightly resting in his lap. Is he still watching the movie? She tried, and she wanted to dammit, but now she could think of other things that would be more fun to do that didn’t require them to leave the couch. Or their position.

~~~

Ahsoka wanted to discourage what she knew Ae’lia had to be thinking. While they needed hope, had to live on that hope and the trust in the Force, to rely on that in hopes of a Jedi to still be alive...could be foolish.

They all knew their numbers were small, and it was more likely that no confirmation of a death could mean nothing. Thousands of them had died.

And so Ahsoka didn’t answer Ae’lia’s thought directly, though she did add, “I remember Master Vook. I remember that I found his presence a bit...intimidating,” she chuckled.

But then she shook her head and continued. “No, I think for now it’s best to assume he faced the same fate as many other Jedi. It...will make things easier.” The pain would still be there, but Ahsoka knew that having hopes someone was still alive, only to find the confirmation that they were was much worse.

They had to accept the fact that only a handful of them remained, especially as Ahsoka continued to narrow down her list of Jedis that may still be alive. It grew shorter all the time, and rarely for good reasons.

 

[Lucyfer]

The Inquisitor had not anticipated they would strike out at his blade, nor that it would end up severing in two and spiraling downwards into the power core. Blades struck it before he could recall them to his hands. He was a bit too busy trying to avoid Kanan’s blasterfire to do that, and had backed up to the edge of the platform when the sabers started that debilitating reaction.

A small explosion at first, shaking the platform, and causing the Inquisitor to slip and lose his balance.

He caught the edge a moment, and glanced down as another explosion rocked the area. He knew, when he had lost, and oddly enough he felt a certain…relief to it. No more would he have to live in fear, skulking about in the shadows, and hoping to avoid Darth Vader.

No more would he have to live in subordination, answering the calls of lesser people like Tarkin.

It was going to be over, an end to the suffering he had thought was endless, to the hatred, to the anger…to all of it.

~***~

Eli was still attempting to watch the movie, although the hand in his lap was more distracting than the rest of their movements had been. He was trying not to focus on that, though. It was a simple gesture, nothing to get heated over, although he was certain he was, and had to thank their angles for likely covering any blushing face.

He wouldn’t alter his position, or shift much more as the film progressed. He was just trying to be cozy and enjoy the film with her – even if his thoughts of enjoyment had taken a different turn, he wasn’t going to act on them.

This was a first date, right?

And at that, one kind of haphazardly created before the ‘real’ first date that was tomorrow. He shouldn’t get ahead of himself, or expect that from Cora, either.

He supposed the boon here was that they could enjoy each other’s company even when there wasn’t much talking, and far too much thinking about how close she was. He didn’t know if he’d ever take that for granted, or if he ever wanted to get that comfortable to take it for granted in the future.

~***~

Ae’lia couldn’t help the wry smile on her lips as Ahsoka recalled Vook as intimidating, “Yes, he was,” sometimes she thought he might try to put Master Windu to shame, but Windu was something Other when it came to intimidation. It was a very calm, and very cold, intimidation. He never lost his focus, unlike Vook.

Though Ahsoka said to assume he died with the rest, and though Ae’lia had done that for years, the small bit of hope wasn’t apt to go away that easily. “I am not going to do anything foolish with this information, Ahsoka,” she said, “but I cannot pretend hope doesn’t exist, whether or not it ends up crushing me in the long run. I will endure that.”

It was the price she had to pay for not being there. For not helping Master Vook, or all the other Jedi. She knew, rationally, her presence would not have mattered, but that wasn’t how survivor’s guilt worked. It wasn’t a rational thing.

“I have enough on my plate with the Shah-tehz, don’t worry.” She added, “and currently with making sure we don’t lose anymore Jedi.”

 

[cleopat]

Both Kanan and Skye stumbled at the first explosion caused by the sabers slicing into the power core, but they held on, watching the Inquisitor with contempt, though Kanan then turned away before he became distracted by movement on the lower platform.

Skye softened her expression, as she watched the Inquisitor hang on the edge. There was a certain relief in his eyes, and in that moment, she felt a semblance of pity for the once Temple Guardian. “I hope you find your peace,” she said, before she turned to follow Kanan.

But Kanan was looking down, screaming something she couldn’t hear in the moment of the explosions. “Ezra!” he yelled, and the boy, waking up from his tumble, looked up. Sheer relief spread across Kanan’s face as he urged his padawan to climb up the ladder at the end of the pathway and hurry out of there.

Skye also felt the same relief, grateful that the kid was still alive. She didn’t want to see another one fall to the Empire, especially one so young and so full of potential. “Not to pressure you so soon after waking up, but we really need to hurry,” Skye yelled down at him. In that moment, Ezra finally seemed to understand that the ship was falling apart around them, and he fought through the fog to climb up the ladder and join them as they hurried back to the hangar.

~~~

As they both settled and moved no more during the movie, Cora was finally able to refocus on the holofilm, with an occasional thought spared to the man she was cozied up next to.

Such as how firm and warm he felt.

The rest of the holofilm was pleasant, both in terms of the actual movie, and by the company she was with. “I enjoyed that,” she said, turning to look up at Eli. “A bit odd in some places, but funny.”

Parodies weren’t her absolute favorite genre of movie, but there were no complaints, and she would certainly watch one again, especially if it was with Eli. “What did you think of it?”

~~~

“Good,” Ahsoka said with a nod. “I trust you won’t go off and do anything rash with this information.” Like try and find him herself, leaving behind the Shah-tezh or outing herself to the Empire.

There was a bigger picture at stake that Ae’lia needed to think about. Finding people and recruiting them was currently Ahsoka’s job.

“Just remember how annoying I can be if I feel like you are going off to do something stupid,” Lin warned, still holding the baby in his lap. The baby cooed, as if he was saying something as well to Ae’lia, but for all they knew, he could just be attempting to mimic their sounds. Or wanting attention.

Ahsoka turned back to the cockpit, “Just a few minutes out from Mustafar,” she told them. There had been no other call yet, from any of the rebels, so she hoped nothing bad had happened yet. She just hoped that there had been no further contact because they were all in too much trouble, or worse.

 

[Lucyfer]

There was an explosion of some sort, that Tarkin was sending troopers to check on. Sabine had ended up getting captured, and escaping. All of this, the group in the transport listened to on the comm…after they more or less had to abandon said transport, because Tarkin figured out where they were and destroyed said transport.

So now they’d run across Sabine and ducked into a hall where there didn’t seem to be much camera presence.

Chopper was plugged into the ship, trying to determine where they should go to get a new ship, to get out of there. “We can just go back to my TIE!”

“Sabine, that TIE is not going to take all of us in it,” a couple people, sure. But Zeb, Adlai, Skye, Kanan, Ezra, Chopper, and Sabine? No, that wasn’t going to work at all. TIEs simply weren’t that large.

Chopper let out some beeping, “Do you know where to go, Chop?” Sabine asked.

It seemed he had an idea, at least, though how he was so certain of it, was anyone’s guess.

~***~

The film was easier to enjoy once they’d both settled, though not without taking the presence entirely for granted. There’d been no need of a blanket, together they were plenty warm enough. Eli enjoyed that warmth, and how easily she fit against him. It’d been not a while, but long enough, since Eli had such company around him.

Certainly before Thrawn.

Long-term relationships hadn’t been on his agenda for a while, but it was never a thought he’d let leave his mind. It was a goal, down the line. He hadn’t exactly stopped being family oriented just because Thrawn took him away from that line of business.

As for the film, “It was amusing,” Eli said, “I don’t think I understood all the references since I don’t watch too much in the normal spy genre.”

~***~

Ae’lia laughed but shook her head at the words from both Ahsoka, Lin, and the Child, “I assure you, I’ve been at this long enough that I know what I’m doing, and what I should do, too.” Although she’d always wonder about Master Vook, it wasn’t as if she knew where to begin to look for him.

It was a favor she could possibly ask of Shay, but Shay was more rational than her. She may keep her ear to the ground, but she wouldn’t go out of her way, either.

With the comment of being near Mustafar, Ae’lia sighed and pulled the helmet for the Inquisitor back into her hands. She didn’t want to have to do anything, but if they were going to Mustafar, she imagined that was already a foregone conclusion that they were going to have to get out of the ship and do something.

But for a moment, the smile touched on her lips again, still thinking of her former master, before she shook it off and tried to get rid of that feeling.

It was unlikely.

Master Vook wasn’t…subtle. He wouldn’t be good in hiding.

~***~

First Sister was dead.

The Grand Inquisitor was dead.

They had once had other names, but those names no longer mattered. Those names were from an era that was dead – and yet that was the eternal pain of being an Inquisitor. They were doomed to forever think of the past, by virtue of being stripped of identity outside of a number, and used only to hunt what they once were.

And once all the Jedi were gone, or gone enough, Third Brother had no illusions that he and the rest of the Inquisitorius would be gone, too.

He had been tortured and broken into this life, like so many of the others, made to see the truth. This life was a repentance for his years with the Jedi, any extension of it was simply the deserved extension to make up for his crimes as a Jedi. His penance was in his suffering, which he took to the way some devotees took to flagellation.

But sometimes, he still had moments of question.

‘Who would trade that hum of night for sunlight, sunlight, sunlight?’

The little golden girl – his golden prodigy, of white robes and golden tunics, with shining blades and a lilting voice. He had hardly forgotten her, Ae’lia Kore, the source of his pain, his greatest failure. She had seen before he had, that the Jedi were wrong and corrupt and she had left them. For the longest time, he had thought she was dead, hunted down for her past.

‘But whose heart would not take flight, betray the moon as acolyte
On first and fierce affirming sight of sunlight, sunlight, sunlight~’

Now he knew she was alive, but had not seen the truth of the Empire. She stood opposed to them, in hiding, but revealed by chance, and so now he was under orders to find her with Tarkin dispatching both him, and Fourth Brother, to Coruscant, to join with Grand Admiral Thrawn.

They would live on his ship for now, but they weren’t necessarily involved in what Thrawn was doing unless it helped in some way.

Tarkin suspected that the Jedi was active in the Core, somehow.

All things in the Core, led back to Coruscant.

And as they left lightspeed, Third Brother wished to be in the chaos and cacophony of Coruscant, away from the voice in his head that still sung of sunlight, and hands that tried to show him how to play an instrument that wasn’t violent, for once.

 

[cleopat]

The trio wasted no more time in leaving the reactor room, now that it was in the midst of destroying the ship.

They really needed to get off, and soon. But Skye did not know at all if Adlai, Zeb, and Chopper were okay. Maybe we should think about comms for the future…

“Which way?” Ezra asked, as he ran beside Kanan and Skye.

Skye paused. “Give me a second, and I can figure that out.” Taking a deep breath, she willed tendrils of the Force to reach out and detect the presence of anyone familiar nearby. There were many others running around, attempting to evacuate the ship before it went down.

“Before we explode with the ship,” Kanan huffed.

“You’ve always been impatient, have you,” Skye retorted, before nodding them down another corridor. “This way.” She picked back up her brisk pace, turning them down a few corridors before she saw their other group.

“Sabine! Zeb! Chopper!” Ezra called after them. He was only too happy to see the familiar figures.

~~~

Cora chuckled, “Yeah, I admit that some of the jokes went over my head for the same reason.” But still, there was plenty of humor for everyone, and some of the more physical was funny enough. “It was still very enjoyable though.”

And not because of present company, although that certainly made things much better.

Though, Cora had to wonder, would this turn long term? Would he eventually meet her family? Oh stars...Her family was old-fashioned Core, and for her to be dating someone from Wild Space who served under an alien Imperial officer, even if he was Grand Admiral…

Fortunately, that wasn’t something she would have to worry about anytime soon, if they did become serious, which she hoped they did.

“We definitely should have another evening like this one.” Which was Cora’s way of not-so-subtly telling Eli she enjoyed her time with him, even if they didn’t talk, but only cuddled.

~~~

Ahsoka had some doubts, but she wouldn’t say anything more. That was Ae’lia’s challenge to cross if she did end up trying to find her old Master.

She just hoped that Ae’lia didn’t end up disappointed if she didn’t like what she found.

A beeping came from her datapad, just like earlier. Frowning, Ahsoka moved to answer it, and it was Chopper once more.

This can’t be good.

She hoped her gut instinct was wrong as to why Chopper would be contacting her again so soon.

“What is it?” she asked.

Chopper beeped out that they will need some help getting off the ship, due to a series of horrible misfortunes. It alerted her of which hanger they were currently nearest.

“Alright, we’ll be there as soon as possible.” Before Chopper could question wait, who’s ‘we’?, Ahsoka turned off the communication and refocused on her ship. “Alright, hold on tight you guys.”

~~~

Tarkin’s ship exploded, and a Grand Inquisitor was dead.

Thrawn wondered how much trouble he would get into if he called up the Grand Moff and inquired about the situation. It couldn’t be any worse than having two Inquisitors sent to his ship over Coruscant.

Maybe this was his punishment, for what Thrawn had done on Corellia, and for what Tarkin knew he had been thinking after receiving the news of what happened on Tarkin’s ship.

With much disdain, Thrawn willed himself to the hangar once news arrived to him that the ship of the Inquisitors was approaching.

Inquisitors.

He hadn’t even told Eli yet.

If he had any luck left, the inquisitors wouldn’t bother him too much, only when it concerned the Jedi, or Jedis, in the Core. Even the other officers in the hangar seemed to be on edge, and one young officer turned to him to say, “Are we sure about this, Admiral?”

“Unfortunately it is not up to me to decide that,” he coolly responded, and the young officer only nodded and turned back to his task, as the ship that held the Third and Fourth Brothers settled within the hangar.

 

[Lucyfer]

Eli was more than willing to share another such evening with Cora like this. It had been easy enough to slip into cuddling and enjoying the film, after a few awkward minutes. Once that had been crossed, though, it was much easier, and he knew it would get progressively easier with time to slip into cuddling on the couch to enjoy a film.

He wouldn’t be sorry to say goodbye to those nerves.

“Yeah – we can do this again,” he said, “This is probably easier to arrange than our trip tomorrow,” he gave a light chuckle at that, but it was certainly true. He didn’t think either of them often had evening shifts, so it wouldn’t be too hard to leave dinners for an evening movie. It would be one easy way to continue spending time together that was just them, too.

And an easy way to transition into other things, although he tried to put that thought aside. It was too soon to be thinking that. Probably.

“But next time you pick the movie,” they could transition like that, to make things a little fair. And get a feel for their own enjoyments.

~***~

They were all privy to Chopper’s conversation, this time. “Chopper, who the hell were you talking to?” Sabine demanded, as Zeb also looked like he might knock the droid upside the dome. That definitely wasn’t Hera. Who had he reached out to, then?

Before they could get any answers from Chopper, however, they were suddenly joined by the other party.

Adlai let out a sigh of relief to see Skye there with them, and who he guessed was Kanan. Ezra was also back in one piece. “Kanan!” Sabine let out a cheerful cry on seeing him.

“Good to see you all back in one piece, though did you have to go and make the ship explode?”

Chopper indicated they needed to move, all but shaking in its position as it tried to urge them along, stating they didn’t have long to get out of there.

~***~

Ae’lia waited for Ahsoka’s conversation to end. Her words weren’t encouraging, exactly, but once they were said, Ae’lia put the Inquisitor helmet back on. “Think you can handle this guy?”

She asked Lin, teasingly, gesturing to the Child.

Someone needed to stay in the ship, and she was assuming right then it would be Lin. She and Ahsoka had far more combat experience, they would be able to get the Ghost crew to safety, easier, and with Lin in the ship that would help make sure it wasn’t overtaken. Or destroyed.

In either case, she would move closer to the door of Ahsoka’s ship, prepared to exit when they made it where they were needed. When they finally got out of lightspeed. She didn’t need to ask Ahsoka what was going on, or what to expect.

She had enough ideas, based on what little she knew.

~***~

The fear was palpable as the ship landed in the hangar. The pantoran inquisitor could see Thrawn easily enough from the window, and understood in a moment why people might have mistook him for a pantoran. Nonetheless, he found it offensive rather than anything else. That people remained so ignorant of other species was one continuing problem in the galaxy.

No longer his problem, though.

He rose from his seat and moved to the ramp as it descended, heedless of Fourth Brother as he stepped into the hangar. His mask remained on, although hints of his skin-tone would be seen in his hands. He never liked gloves; they got between him and his lightsaber, as well as him and the Force.

He approached the Grand Admiral with no hesitation or questioning look around the hangar; there was no need to. “They tell me you had a run-in with the Jedi Kore,” he used the surname only. He’d gotten used to the Empire’s way, surnames taking prominence over everything else. “I need to know the details.”

Fourth Brother also probably needed them but he didn’t really care about Fourth Brother. They were paired up often enough, but their jobs were usually short and to the point. Of course, back then when this all started, finding Jedi was easier.

He knew why he was sent on this mission, though.

Ae’lia Kore was his padawan. If anyone was going to find her, it’d be him.

 

[cleopat]

Cora could only agree with Eli’s statement. It wasn’t often they both had an entire day off that lined up with both of their schedules, but she didn’t think either one worked too often in the evenings, though she imagined Eli would be on call more often than she would.

Being the right hand man of a Grand Admiral could be exhausting.

She chuckled, “That is very true, though I think that will only make days like tomorrow that much better.” Because it will be a rare chance for them to get away from the ship and relax without worry. And have fun.

“But making me choose the next movie?” She playfully groaned at the idea. So much pressure! Should she choose one that she loves and wants to introduce to Eli? Should she choose one that she knows he would enjoy? Or something they would ignore for focusing more on one another?

Again, Cora was overthinking the simplest of things.

“Alright, alright, I can do that,” she then said with a chuckle. “But no complaining if it ends up being rom-com.” Not that she would do that to Eli; she only teased.

~~~

Although Kanan was more than relieved to see most of his crew, minus Hera (whom he assumed was commanding her ship), now wasn’t the time to stop and have a reunion party.

Chopper was right, they did need to move before they blew up with the ship.

“Of course, I always love going out with a bang,” Skye responded. It was only a minor setback to her, but at least now the Empire was down one star destroyer in their fleet. They had to take the small victories.

And as they followed Chopper after it berated them, she gave a small squeeze to Adlai’s arm, just as relieved to see that he was still with them, unharmed, as he was to see her.

The droid led them to a hangar nearby, but it was completely evacuated, with no ship in sight. “What’s the big deal, Chopper? Why did you lead us to a dead end?” Ezra groaned.

The droid let out a series of annoyed beeps, telling the kid to be patient and wait a minute.

~~~

Lin chuckled, looking down at the Child as he made his own small noise of contentment. “Yeah, I think I’ll somehow manage him.” Even if it seemed the baby was growing bored and restless, and wanted to play.

Not now Little One.

“Hopefully you won’t have to leave the ship at all,” Ahsoka called back to Ae’lia, as the woman in question put her helmet back on. But she wouldn’t discourage Ae’lia from leaving, if the group wasn’t immediately in the hangar. Not if the ship was about to explode.

The ship left lightspeed and the sight of Tarkin’s star destroyer was unmistakable. With no hesitation on her part, Ahsoka flew the ship into the hangar Chopper directed her to, the ramp already lowering before the ship touched the floor of the hangar.

“I don’t think Chopper led us to a dead end,” Kanan muttered to Ezra.

~~~

Fourth Brother followed beside Third Brother off the ship, clad in the traditional black uniform of the Inquisitors, with the helmet securely fastened on, for now. He didn’t care for how restrained it made him feel, but for the momentary pomp and circumstance of greeting the Grand Admiral, an alien with skin as blue as his fellow Inquisitor, it would be donned.

Thrawn took the second they needed to descend the ramp to quickly observe the two Inquisitors. From the flash of blue skin he saw, Thrawn gathered the taller one was Pantoran; he highly doubted there were any Chiss Inquisitors. The second was only an inch shorter, but still just as intimidating in his presence, even as both of their identities remained hidden behind a helmet.

He already had a bad feeling.

And quick to the point, the Pantoran was.

“Those details are very sensitive,” he answered. “We must discuss the matter of the Jedi somewhere private. Follow me.” If there was no objection, Thrawn would begin to lead them to his office, where they could talk about his recent run in with the Jedi Ae’lia Kore, and everything he knew about her potential involvement with a rebel cell in the Core.

 

[Lucyfer]

Eli was in agreement with that assessment. Days like tomorrow, even without dates pending, were rare enough as it was. Sure, Eli could take time off and go down to a planet, but it wasn’t that much fun without company. Usually he’d take Thrawn, but that would end up being business and that was tedious. Faro was all right company sometimes, too.

This would be better, he hoped.

He chuckled at her outcry about the film, “Fair’s fair,” he said teasingly as she considered it, but threatened a romcom. He rolled his eyes a bit, “I think I can survive a romcom, if I must.” He wasn’t enthused about the thought. There weren’t many good romcoms, in his opinion, but if they were a type of film she wanted to watch, he’d manage it.

He’d try to find something good in them.

Or at least make note of the ridiculously cute and over the top things she liked from them.

~***~

It wasn’t a dead-end for long, although the ship was foreign to Adlai and the rest of them, the fact it was their rescue was obvious enough from Chopper’s beeping. The ramp fell first, and stepping into sight was at first a figure that should have caused alarm – an Inquisitor – but Adlai relaxed a moment later.

“Come on, Knight, Outcast!” Ae'lia was at least still careful to use titles.

Chopper chimed in something about Fulcrum, a name that they’d all been hearing, but didn’t know the identity of.

“That’s not Fulcrum,” Adlai said, though he suspected Fulcrum was in that ship all the same – it definitely wasn’t one of Eira’s. “Let’s go, it’s safe,” he said, Chopper indignantly beeping that he’d more or less said that, but Adlai took a sprint for the ship, and was immediately helped on by Eira catching his arm.

She wasn’t going to risk not helping with a shaky ship below them.

Adlai hopped in and stepped aside quick, “Hi Lin, Hi, uh, baby,” he noticed what Lin had, and then noticed the togruta, “Fulcrum?” He wasn’t sure but supposed that was as good a greeting as possible right then.

~***~

Third Brother had no qualms with moving somewhere more private to discuss the matter. It was more or less what he anticipated, even if he would have preferred just to have the information immediately so he could get on with things. Not that he really had a point to begin; that was part of the problem. Ae’lia was alive, but her whereabouts were unknown, even how she was currently presenting herself was unknown.

She had appeared in Inquisitorial Garb.

‘She should have supported this from the start.’

But of course…she didn’t. She left the Jedi but now found cause to stand up to the Empire, who had destroyed the Jedi, as they deserved. As she had known. And yet, now….

He would try not to dwell on it as they reached the office setting in silence, no words passing between the two inquisitors themselves. There was never really much to talk about. Their life’s meaning was caught in finding Jedi, after all.

He didn’t really care to examine the office, beyond where he might be expected to sit, and he went there, took his seat, and would just stare at Thrawn until the Chiss opted to continue the conversation with the information requested.

 

[cleopat]

Cora chuckled, and shook her head. “Don’t worry, I won’t make you suffer through one of those films, unless I think there was a reason you may like one.” Such as, some had more action in it than others, and could easily be classified as an action film as much as a romcom.

Maybe something to ask Faro about again if their friend hadn’t labeled them as helpless yet.

“What are some genres you normally do watch when you’re just wanting to relax?” she asked, her head resting on his shoulder while looking up at him. Maybe she could get some ideas to what types of movies Eli prefer, and she could make a better decision from there.

Of course, she wouldn’t go out of her way to pick a movie she hated just to satisfy him, but...it could help narrow her choices some.

~~~

The Jedis tensed upon the sight of the Inquisitor, but for Skye, it became immediately clear who was hiding underneath that helmet. “I know her - she’s one of us,” she assured Kanan and Ezra, who both still looked uncertain, but their only other option in the moment was to stay on the exploding ship.

Skye stayed behind to make sure everyone got on the ship safely. Everyone hurried onboard, with her following behind, giving a small leap onto the ramp as the ship started to rise again and leave behind the crumbling star destroyer.

Once safely away from the ship, Ahsoka moved back to the newcomers, people she had seen holopics of, but never in person. She nodded at Adlai, a soft smile on her face. “Yes, but my real name is-”

She was interrupted by Skye, who had immediately removed her helmet once the ramp was safely up, and tossed it aside. “Ahsoka Tano?” Her eyes glossed over with unshed tears at the sight of the former Jedi she hadn’t seen in many years.

“Hala Cormin,” she said back before the two joined in a brief embrace, only interrupted by the Child catching Skye’s eyes. “Is that a baby Yoda?”

~~~

Thrawn hated the Inquisitors.

Both took a seat in his office, and stared silently at him until he made the first remark. He almost preferred if they were to remove the helmets, but as part of their official uniform, he knew many opted to not remove the helmets. And yet, there were others who had no qualms in doing so.

Thrawn sata behind his desk, hands neatly folded on top of the desk, as if that semblance of a shield between him and the two did anything. “I am unsure what information would be pertinent for you.” And he didn’t exactly have much.

“I know she’s working with a rebel cell somewhere in the Core. I know she has two orange lightsabers,” the last bit something they already knew. “She was on Corellia to help rescue another rebel cell that contained two Jedi. Is there anything in particular you are looking for?”

 

[Lucyfer]

Eli felt a light blush darken his features as Cora looked up at him while leaning against his shoulder. It was too cute, but he didn’t forget her question in the midst of it…and was certain he may have darkened further at the thought of what he usually watched. “Honestly I…don’t watch too many holofilms and when I do they’re dramas.”

He was more into the serious films than anything, “Sometimes war films, or more historical ones. I can get into some comedy and action ones,” he offered, though sometimes he would zone out during those.

That was probably the point of any film they’d be watching, though. He shouldn’t be too invested in it when he was really trying to spend time with Cora and focus a bit more on her – but he also couldn’t just pick something that was utterly rubbish, either. “It probably doesn’t surprise you that I prefer dramas,” he chuckled, figuring he didn’t come off as really the action film buff, or even the comedy film buff.

He liked his films to make him think a bit more, or actually feel something.

~***~

Once everyone was in the ship, Ae’lia lifted the helmet off to get rid of that nuisance and ease some concerns about who she was. She stepped aside to allow Ahsoka and Hala their moment, as Adlai also took off his helmet, and noted Lin, and the baby, before Skye did. “That…does look a bit like Yoda.” At least Adlai could remember who Yoda had been.

The Child cooed and waved up at Skye, noticing her seeing him. It gave a little burbling laugh at ‘Yoda’ being said again.

“It’s Yoda’s species,” Ae’lia agreed, “We were helping the Mantis crew on Corellia – Cal Kestis, and Cere Junda,” she said, for the other Jedi, as Chopper moved towards the cockpit to get coordinates and reach out to Hera so she could follow them where they were going – and let Hera know what was going on. “They had recovered him, but he needed a safe place to go. Ahsoka is taking him somewhere.”

“Okay,” Sabine interrupted, putting her hands in the time-out gesture, “Who are all of you, and what’s going on here?”

“Yeah, I’d like some explanations,” Zeb agreed. “Er, heard of you,” Fulcrum, anyways, but he didn’t know much else or why this was suddenly so emotional all around him.

~***~

“I would rather you not decide what is or is not important, Grand Admiral,” third brother responded as Thrawn offered a rather pithy overview of what had occurred on Corellia. “Tell us how the incident on Corellia occurred, what was said, what happened, who was there, and what you can gather about the additional rebel cell that makes you and Tarkin so damn sure they’re in the Core.”

When it was, quite literally, the stupidest place for a Jedi to be, and he thought Ae’lia was a bit smarter than that. She should be hiding in Mygeeto, or some other Outer Rim world, where she could just pass as any other human and go unnoticed. She could have managed it. He knew he shouldn’t think that way, or even hope for it, but…well…it was better than death.

And though he’d never say it, better than being an Inquisitor.

“I don’t expect you to be able to know what’s important when it comes to Jedi.” Tarkin was just barely allowed to make these determinations.

 

[cleopat]

Cora noticed the darkening of Eli’s face and wondered at it, but she wouldn’t mention it to him at all. That would only further darken his cheeks out of embarrassment, and she wished to keep the evening as pleasant as possible.

Like trying to subtly hint at a kiss, somehow.

“Well then, maybe I shall endeavor to broaden your interests,” she teased. She watched a few dramas or historical holovids on occasion, though she would admit she did not care for war films in the least. She grew up around war, why would she want to watch more of it?

Comedies, action, and romcoms were a way to allow her mind a rest from her current reality.

But, then again, she didn’t want to pick a film she would enjoy too much. Not with certain company beside her.

~~~

Nothing else mattered to Skye in the moment after the little green baby looked up at her and waved, followed by his burbling laugh. A wide grin crossed her face and she moved over to the bench where Lin sat with the baby. “Oh please let me hold him,” she said to Lin, who held out the bundle with an amused grin.

Skye easily took the baby and sat on the bench next to Lin, cooing at the Child.

Ahsoka, bemused by Skye’s enamore for the Child, spoke up, “Ae’lia, Adlai, Skye, and Lin here are part of the rebel cell on Coruscant, much like how you are a cell on Lotha.”

“Wait, we’re part of a rebel cell?” Ezra asked, disbelief and amazement evident in his voice.

“Yeah,” Kanan said, “And Ahsoka, Ae’lia, and Hala here were once Jedis,” he motioned to each one as he said their names. “Hala and I knew each other way back when.”

The Jedi in question looked up at the mention of her name. “Yeah, our Masters were friends. And you were much shorter,” she said to Kanan with a chuckle.

The kid only continued to look confused, but some things were slowly clicking with him. “So you are a Jedi!” he exclaimed. “But I thought your name was Skye?”

Skye chuckled. “I have probably assumed over a hundred different names since the Jedi purge. Skye is just my most recent one. Keeps me off the radar.” Well, until now, but she knew to remain smart and vigilant.

~~~

The Inquisitor asked too many questions, which Thrawn did not like. But, there was very little that would please him at the moment.

Such as them leaving.

At least the other one remained silent for now, just observing the exchange between the Admiral and Third Brother, instead of commenting on something he knew he should stay out of in the moment. Fourth Brother knew what this Jedi meant for his fellow Inquisitor.

Thrawn ignored the last comment, and began to offer more of what Third Brother wanted to know. “As I mentioned, she and another rebel were aiding the Jedis Cere Junda, Cal Kestis, and their crew off of Corellia. She somehow had an Inquisitor uniform handy, so when myself and my officers arrived we mistakenly assumed she was the Inquisitor sent to aid us in their capture or their absolute defeat.”

But he had caught on quickly enough.

“Few words were exchanged between Ae’lia Kore and myself. One, that she never meant to kill, for it was the Jedi way.” But of course many have fallen at the hands of the Jedi. “And two, that our Emperor is a Sith.” Something that had upset the Jedi for some reason.

“These rebels' obvious wealth of resources, and how they were able to come to Corellia so quickly, are among the reasons why I believe they are operating in the Core.” But he wouldn’t mention anything of Coruscant right then. Nothing of what Tarkin had said earlier.

 

[Lucyfer]

Eli chuckled at Cora’s plans, “I wouldn’t mind seeing more things outside of the norm,” he said, “It’s not like I don’t like other genres,” they just didn’t draw him in as much. Definitely not romcoms, and comedies like this often had their work cut out for them. But, this had still been enjoyable.

“We could also try a series, rather than a film. Start something together,” he considered, as an option for another way to pursue something that would keep them together. There were a few long-running ones he’d been meaning to get into since ship chatter often surrounded them. He wasn’t sure if they would really be worth it, though.

Still, it seemed like it’d be just as good – and something more long-lasting to get into together and enjoy.

“What kinds of films do you usually watch, anyways? Is it really romcoms?” He asked the last bit teasingly, but he did wonder if it was usually those sorts, or others on the romantic scale like those sappy movies he knew his mom liked. Those definitely weren’t his style; he’d probably prefer a romcom to those, even if he usually liked things more dramatic.

~***~

Adlai moved to take a seat by Skye as she held the child, curious over it as well, and not feeling too much of a need to immediately contribute to the conversation. Besides, watching Skye with the baby was too cute a thing to pass up.

Sabine knew that made sense, and that Kanan had used another name prior to this. It was how he stayed off the radar, after all, “What name are you using, then?” She directed the question to Ae’lia.

“Honestly, the fact you don’t know it, impresses me. I guess make-up does a lot more than I give it credit for,” Ae’lia laughed a bit to herself, “You don’t need to know who I am to the galaxy,” she said, rather than answer Sabine’s question. Honestly, it was better if they all knew her as Ae’lia.

Sure, it confirmed that Ae’lia was alive – but it was better than knowing that Eira Nevan was a rebel. The fewer who drew that connection, the better.

“Just how many Jedi are left?” Zeb mused, “Seems like more and more of you keep showing up.”

‘Not enough.’ It was how Ae’lia wanted to answer, but she could only offer a wane smile to Zeb. “I’m sure you know the real answer to that question.” He was a lasat, and as he opened his mouth to answer – he paused.

Grumbled, something begrudging, but an understanding, “Yeah…I guess I do.” The Empire had nearly eradicated the lasat, after all.

~***~

Third Brother listened intently enough, though the explanation still seemed lacking. It was tempting to want to just tear open Thrawn’s mind and see what was in it, but he had to show the Imperial officers at least some semblance of civility while they attempted to work with them. It was Thrawn’s casual statement that the Emperor was a Sith that caused Third Brother to go rigid.

That wasn’t common knowledge.

It wasn’t even common knowledge that the Emperor could use the Force. Darth Vader and the Inquisitors were the only ones known for doing that, whereas the Emperor kept his true powers well hidden and let them act as his fist, in the open. People could assume what they wanted, including officers of the Empire, about what that meant.

But this? This wasn’t anticipated.

At least Thrawn did not seem…bothered by this. Perhaps he did have more perception than most, as his reputation suggested. “Clearly none of you have seen how rich criminals get in the Outer Rim,” Third Brother scoffed at the thought that wealth and connections had to come from the Core. He supposed an Inquisitor’s uniform might be harder to replicate out there, though.

Coruscant would be one place to do that, easier, given greater access to the headquarters of the Empire. Not that the Inquisitors truly resided there, but they spent plenty of time there in the past.

“This does not give us much to follow.” Why the hell had Tarkin sent them there with this? They couldn’t just roam Coruscant’s streets. That would cause problems.

 

[cleopat]

A series also sounded fun, and it would certainly give them plenty of reasons to relax together in the evening, to enjoy whatever show they picked out and to enjoy each other’s company; Cora would nod in agreement at that suggestion.

It was her turn to lightly blush, and she shook her head. “Yes, I do watch them, but they’re not the only thing I watch. I also enjoy action films, the occasional suspense and horror, and also just regular comedy.” But she was also of the mindset to watch movies she wouldn’t normally watch otherwise if presented the opportunity, like the spy satire. “Oh, and sometimes a good mystery. Like one of those whodunnit stories.”

She always had fun at guessing along with the detective in those types of films.

~~~

Skye smiled up at Adlai as he sat down next to her, and the Child cooed at the newcomer. Oh how she really wanted to keep him, as his big, round eyes stared up at them.

“I think what is important,” Ahsoka spoke up, “is the hope we can give the galaxy for a new dawn.”

“So, are there other Jedi?” Ezra asked with some hope.

Ahsoka smiled softly at the boy. “That is an answer I’m afraid I can’t give right now.” For now, it was better to keep information on the need-to-know basis until they were ready.

“I bet there are,” he mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

Skye smiled at Ezra, wanting to hope so as well. They had to hope. She didn’t want to believe that those in the ship comprised more than half of all remaining Jedi.

A burbling laugh interrupted her thoughts, and Skye looked down to see the baby reaching for something hooked on her belt. “Oh no little one,” she gently scolded, grabbing his curious hand. “Lightsabers are not toys.”

~~~

Ah, so there was a bit of news Thrawn mentioned that neither Inquisitor liked. That the Emperor was a Sith. It wasn’t common knowledge, and he doubted more than a handful of people, if even at that, knew of his truth.

But interestingly enough, neither also chose to speak more on that subject, but rather continue on the topic of former Jedi Ae’lia Kore. And Thrawn still stood by his observation that the rebel cell had to come from the Core.

“No, there is not much at the moment,” he agreed. “We are actively monitoring potential rebel activity in the Core, but beyond that, there is not much more to tell you.”

The Fourth Brother scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest. “This is just a waste of our time then.”

That, Thrawn would neither agree nor disagree with. He didn’t enjoy how Tarkin thrusted them upon his ship, and he had the great impression that they felt very similarly.

“Unless you’re intentionally withholding any information from us for some foolish reason,” the Fourth Brother continued, leaning forward so slightly in his chair.

Thrawn remained collected. “I assure you that I am not.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Eli wasn’t too keen on suspense or horror, although they weren’t terrible. He just never saw the fuss over them or the need some people had to be scared. “I can manage suspense and horror, too. Mystery, though I like comedy-mysteries better,” he said, the sorts where it was obvious who did it – or else very unobvious who did it, but framed in a comedic setting.

He knew there was one where an animated world and the real world mingled that was quite amusing. He thought one of the main characters was some sort of rabbit. He’d seen it when he was a kid because his parents thought it would be okay for him to watch, but he couldn’t remember the name for the life of him.

“I haven’t watched too many actual mystery movies,” he didn’t know why, really. He didn’t have anything against them, they just never appealed to him as much, but they might now. It was practically what he did every day working with Thrawn – trying to solve some new mystery.

Or maybe that would just make them even more boring.

~***~

Adlai laughed as the baby tried to reach for Skye’s lightsabers, “Not the best idea,” he told the kid, and wished he’d worn one of his more typical outfits. Those usually had enough distracting shiny things, after all.

Chopper came rolling back into the main area to let them know that Hera would be following, and Sabine gave a relieved sigh at that Hera wasn’t out of the loop, and knew they were safe. “Speaking of…where exactly are we going?” Sabine asked, “We can’t go back to Lothal like this.”

And she didn’t know about this other group and where they had to go.

Adlai did look to Ae’lia for an answer, but she just shook her head. She didn’t know where they’d be going first, or how this was going to get sorted. Obviously, her group needed to get back to Coruscant, and the Ghost crew had to get elsewhere, as well.

The Child, noticing the new droid, made grabby hands at it. Chopper immediately beeped out discouragement and backed up. The Child, thus, whimpered. He wasn’t getting any of the awesome shiny things! It wasn’t fair!

“Stop being a monster, Chop, go see the kid.” Zeb said.

Chopper again protested.

~***~

Although Third Brother would love to encourage Fourth Brother’s line of thinking here, he wouldn’t. Not yet, at any rate, they had no indication that the Grand Admiral was withholding anything from them, at least not intentionally. His ability to offer details on situations was slim, but what was to be expected?

“What do you know of this rebel activity you’re monitoring, then?” Third brother huffed, thinking there might be something in that. Perhaps Tarkin assumed the rebel cell that Thrawn was looking in to in Coruscant, also housed this Jedi. It was the only thing that made sense, given where they were sent.

If that was the case, though, they should just take Thrawn off of it and let himself and Fourth Brother have a look. ‘No, that will just cause them to run.’

Although, running wasn’t always bad. Sometimes that was the only way they even saw them – when they ran. Otherwise, they could often stay hidden for quite a while, with no one disturbing their activity. Things were easier when Inquisitors had been allowed to roam as they liked, then two of them had to go fuck it up and cause some damage in Coruscant.

Idiots.

 

[cleopat]

Cora nodded in her agreement to liking comedy-mysteries. “Oh, I like those too. Those comedy mysteries that absolutely do not take themselves serious in the least? Those are some of my favorites.” Like one she recalled seeing when she was younger, that intermingled animation and live action.

In hindsight, she probably shouldn’t have seen it at such a young age, but she was the youngest child of four. She got away with a lot.

Maybe she would have to make it a mission to show Eli that movie.

At least now she knew what she would pick for their next movie night.

And in her relaxed state, Cora found herself getting tired, but she couldn’t will herself to get up and away from Eli’s warmth. “I think this day took its toll on me,” she mumbled.

~~~

Skye felt her heart break at the whimper of the Child, and she had half a mind to drag Chopper over with the Force. But maybe it was best that the cantankerous droid wasn’t near the Child.

She didn’t know who was more of a danger to one another.

Skye readjusted the baby so he wouldn’t be drawn to anything shiny on her, as anything she had that was shiny was no doubt dangerous for a baby to grab. Like the lightsaber.

“First, I need to return these guys back to Coruscant,” Ahsoka answered Sabine, gesturing to the Coruscant rebels. “As for you guys,” she paused, and sighed. “I’m not sure yet. I’ll figure something out as we drop them off.”

“I suppose you don’t have any spare clothes laying around? I can’t exactly be seen on Coruscant in a Purge Trooper uniform,” Skye asked.

Ahsoka thought for a second, before shrugging. “I may have something, but it’ll be too long on you.”

She chuckled and shrugged. “That’s just the story of my life. I can work with it.”

~~~

There were many ways Thrawn knew he could go about these questions. Subverting the truth would likely not be an option, if so he could be the only one looking into this rebel activity.

“I believe this Jedi is involved with this rebel activity somehow,” but if the rebels were truly reaching out to other cells and starting the effort to create a larger network, then there was the possibility she belonged somewhere else, or was the leader of a rebel cell.

Surely a Jedi would lead the organization efforts of not only any rebel cell, but the larger effort into a connected network across the galaxy.

Thrawn just hoped that the Inquisitors wouldn’t do anything...too bold that would cause the rebel activity to flee to another planet, if they indeed were on Coruscant, or nearby. “But for now, my investigation remains in its early stages.” And he had no idea why they were sent there, except for pettiness by Tarkin.

 

[Lucyfer]

Unbeknownst to Eli, he was thinking of the next movie being much the same as Cora was. He’d have to try and remember for next time, though he didn’t think that would be too long from now, with how comfortable they were right now. It wasn’t that hard to get an evening together, they were on the same ship, and neither of them worked evenings that often, from what he understood. This could easily happen again.

Although right now, it seemed Cora was tired. As comfortable as he was there on the couch, he knew that meant she had to leave. Which was a shame. He was enjoying this, but he didn’t want her to feel pressured to stay and linger in conversation a while longer. “It was a long day.”

They had no idea how tomorrow would be – though they’d be spared much of it.

“I guess I shouldn’t keep you any longer,” he gave a wane smile as he adjusted himself a bit, straightening up, and then carefully moving so he wasn’t touching her as much, leaning into her, or anything like that. As he did move to get up, though, he offered his hand, “We have a busy day tomorrow,” some consolation for the evening ending so soon, “you should be well-rested for it!”

He wanted to be.

Even if anxiety might keep him up.

~***~

“Best we not know,” Ae’lia added, “though I’m sure we’ll all talk again,” now that they were involved in the larger rebellion.

“So you guys really work out of Coruscant, huh?” Sabine said, as talk of clothing ensued, and Adlai picked at his own armor. Ae’lia nodded. Sabine let out a low whistle, “Kudos to that, I don’t think I could deal with it.”

“I couldn’t, I’d be caught,” Zeb grumbled.

“You’d be surprised what you can get away with,” Ae’lia chuckled, “We actually have a wookiee working with us.”

Zeb’s eyes widened a bit, “How do you keep that one hidden?”

“Carefully,” Ae’lia answered, “but Skye’s right, we should get changed. Adlai?”

“I’m wearing black under this, I’ll just strip out of the armor,” he said, “You have something, Ei—er. Ae’lia?” It was weird using the name. He’d never heard it before, though he understood he had to, right then. He understood it was her name.

Perhaps more than Eira was, or ever would be.

“Yes, Merrin helped with that,” she said, “I’ll go get changed first,” she wanted out of this Inquisitor outfit soon, and so she walked off, picking up Merrin’s clothing on her way to a more secluded area of the ship.

~***~

For the reputation that surrounded the Grand Admiral, Third Brother was not impressed. He had little to offer about his investigations, little to say about how it worked, who he was looking at – nothing. Third Brother gave an irritated grunt at all of this lack and folded his arms over his chest as he glared at the chiss through his helmet.

Stars, things were so much easier when he wasn’t working with Imperials and all their bullshit red tape and egos.

“I didn’t ask if you knew the Jedi was involved or not,” Third Brother pointed out, “I asked what you knew of their activity. General fucking question.” There was a reason Third Brother really wasn’t a good counsellor. A reason it’d almost been a godsend to have Ae’lia at his side, she could easily temper him, and those he was speaking to.

Fourth Brother was not good at that.

And intimidation didn’t work on all, particularly high-ranking Imperials.

“If you’re worried about your precious accolades and credit for bringing the rebels down, don’t be. We don’t care about that, we don’t work for that. There’s no promotions in our line of work,” they just did what was needed. End of story. And when they weren’t needed….

Stars how he looked forward to the day he wasn’t needed.

“But I’m going to guess you have jackshit about the group and you’re yanking Tarkin’s chain about having much of anything, right? You just don’t need us knowin’ that,” he shook his head, “Well, don’t worry. When we find your rebel group for you, and destroy them, it’s you who still gets the credit, Grand Admiral.”

 

[cleopat]

Cora found herself not wishing to leave either. She wanted to linger and stay to enjoy the warmth of Eli's presence, but she did grow tired with every passing minute. It was a trying day, and she just knew that there would be bruises tomorrow that would prove the hardships of the day.

She pouted slightly, but eventually conceded. They both did need some sleep, and would only see more of one another tomorrow.

"And I guess I should head to bed soon. It has been a long day, and it will be a long day again tomorrow, but for better reasons, " she said with a grin. She took the hand that he offered to her and stood up from the couch, but Cora didn't immediately let go of his hand.

"What time did you want to leave tomorrow?" She couldn't remember if they had discussed exact times yet for their date tomorrow, but she figured that they would at least want to sleep in some, if only to rest more from their stressful day.

But Cora was very excited for tomorrow.

~~~

Ae’lia walked away to change her clothes, and Ahsoka nodded at Skye. “I’ll grab you some clothes.” She left the area, and Skye turned her attention down towards the baby in her lap, who now seemed to be dozing off, as all of the new excitement exhausted the little creature.

"I think somebody needs to know," she cooed to the child. The baby smiled and let out a bubble of laughter before yawning, proving that Skye was right. He did need a nap.

Ahsoka came back out into the main area with a change of clothes draped over her arm. Skye moved the baby back into Lin’s lap as Adlai worked on peeling off the armor of his Stormtrooper uniform.

Ahsoka held out the clothes for Skye. "Here you are,” she said.

"Thank you for this," Sky said gratefully and with a nod. She wouldn't leave just yet to go change Into different attire, because she wanted to wait for Ae’lia to return, just in case she accidentally walked in on her changing. It didn't look like a very large ship after all.

~~~

Thrawn’s hands rested in his lap, which allowed him to ever so slightly tighten his hands into fists as Third Brother spoke to him in such a callous manner. He didn’t fear the Inquisitors, not in the way everyone else seemed to fear them.

He was just very, very annoyed by them and the fact that Tarkin seemed it best to place them on his ship.

His cool facade remained calm through the indignity in his words.

“I think the Admiral knows much more than he’s letting on. Either that, or he’s like any other Imperial: not befit to hold his title,” the Fourth Brother chimed in with a lazy smirk behind his mask.

“I do not care for any accolades that may occur after capturing these rebels,” Thrawn said dismissively. He never did any work for recognition or promotion, but simply because it was needed to be done for the better of the Empire. The Fourth Brother scoffed his disbelief, but said nothing more.

“What I know of the rebel group is that they most likely are operating on Coruscant,” Thrawn conceded to answer. “Nothing more at the moment, but there are some leads I am following up on very soon.” Those, he would not tell the Inquisitors, and he could say it was simply due to sensitive information.

They didn’t exactly seem like the most tactless recruits out there.

 

[Lucyfer]

“Tomorrow will feel too short,” Eli sighed as Cora noted it would be a long day. It would be a day full of activity, no doubt, but it would still feel far too long. Nonetheless, he’d lead Cora to the door as he mused over the time. “I was thinking around 10am or so. Enough time to get some sleep and check in on any projects before leaving.”

He knew he wouldn’t just abandon everything. It wasn’t his way, and it was certainly how he’d proven indispensable to Thrawn. From what he got from Cora, he imagined she might also be inclined to check in with a few things, just so she was certain she wasn’t going to be called back for some inane thing. They’d both want to be fairly certain of that, before leaving to go enjoy their well-deserved day off.

“Would that work for you?” Eli asked, though he was certainly willing to negotiate earlier or later with her. It wasn’t like he wanted to delay for too long, after all, though too late and they’d be eating lunch, rather than brunch. He was pretty sure they’d talked about getting brunch together.

~***~

Peeling off the Trooper uniform wasn’t hard, thankfully, just tedious. Bit by bit, Adlai got it off, though. This wasn’t his first time, at least, and he gave Lin a sympathetic smile for his own situation, being in the Purge outfit for so long. It seemed like he’d be the last to change, if he was given leave to do so.

Adlai just wondered if he’d be stuck with the Child next. At least it was sleeping, but did any of them know how to handle it if it started crying? Was it potty trained? He had a few questions he really didn’t want to find out the answers to.

Thankfully, Ae’lia wasn’t too long in changing, and she returned with it all nicely folded.

The outfit might come in handy again, after all. She needed some way to act and disguise her identity, while also giving reason for the use of the Force. It might not work with Imperial forces directly, but there were plenty of worlds that wouldn’t know the difference from one Imperial from another, let alone one Inquisitor from another.

Or she could get a new outfit based on a still-living Inquisitor. ‘Who was she?’

Ae’lia wouldn’t focus on that, seeing Skye with her new attire. “All yours,” she gestured back, and looked to Ahsoka. “For Coruscant, do you think you could drop Lin and myself at one of the cantinas? It would make more sense for us to be together without Skye and Adlai.”

An after-practice outing. That wasn’t unusual, and she figured Lin would agree.

Adlai nodded, “The Serenno embassy is good for myself and Skye, and no one asks questions there. We have plenty of ships going in and out.” To help hide their own questionable activity.

~***~

Fourth Brother, at least, seemed to think there was more to the situation than Thrawn was letting on, confirmed by the way Thrawn gave them Coruscant, and that he was following a lead there. Third Brother had also scoffed at his disregard for accolades. “Save your false humility for someone who cares, like Tarkin,” Third Brother said as he rose from his seat. “You’re not telling us what your lead is, you didn’t want to tell us things were on Coruscant.” He ticked off, “I’ve dealt with enough bureaucratic bullshit my entire life to know when I’m being had.”

His ability to feel with the Force helped.

He could tell that Thrawn did not like them at all. His anger and his resentment was terribly normal though. He didn’t feel the usual swell of indignity that would accompany those with pride, egos, or the generally unfit for position. He noted it, but didn’t trust it. The supremely confident, like Tarkin, rarely let indignity swell.

They had no time to humor people several degrees lower than them.

But there was nervousness. Anxiety. Common to those with secrets they were reluctant to spill. “Fortunately for you, Tarkin has requested our discretion since your mission is not public knowledge, but ours is.” No one could really hide what an Inquisitor was there for, after all. “We’ll leave you to it for now and discuss our own strategy amongst ourselves.”

If Thrawn was leaving them out, they had no reason to include him.

 

[cleopat]

Cora could only agree. While the day would be long, it would feel far too short. A day away from the ship, away from any mission, and spent in great company, if tonight was any indication of how tomorrow would be.

Hopefully with a less awkward beginning.

“Ten am sounds perfect.” She could swing by the lab and check on a few things, so she wouldn’t get any unexpected message from anyone she worked with. Cora didn’t want to be the reason they had to end their date early.

But for now, she figured she should head back to her room so they both could get some well deserved rest. “I guess I should get back to my room now,” she said with a smile. “Do you...do you want to walk me back to my room?” As soon as she said it, Cora wished she hadn’t.

Did it sound too forward? Did Eli just want to get to bed?

You still have tomorrow.

~~~

Skye smiled and nodded at Ae’lia, taking her place and going somewhere where she could get changed into the clothes.

“Of course I can,” Ahsoka answered with a nod. “In that case, we’ll drop you and Hala off first,” she turned to look at Ae’lia, “and then I’ll drop you and Lin off at a cantina.” She can determine which cantina when they arrive on Coruscant. Maybe they had a preference, one that wouldn’t look suspicious for Eira and Lin to be seen at.

At that moment, the baby woke back up and looked over at the nearby person who hadn’t yet held him: Adlai. He fussed and made a grab motion over at the man. Lin looked down and laughed, seeing what the Child wanted. “Looks like it’s your turn,” he said, putting the baby down on the bench.

He immediately began to waddle over to Adlai and tugged on his sleeve, staring up at him with wide eyes.

Skye came back out in her new clothes, a tunic that could’ve easily been a dress on her small frame and pants with the legs rolled up so she wouldn’t trip over the length. “Aww, isn’t that just adorable,” she cooed at Adlai and the Child.

With the Child now out of his lap, Lin took that as his cue to finally get changed, so he stood up and walked off with the clothes in his arms.

~~~

The Inquisitor continued to give Thrawn reasons to dislike them. He was harsh, brash. And the other just sat there, silent, and if Thrawn could see his face, he imagined there would be an amused expression on his face, relishing in the Admiral’s discomfort.

As the Inquisitor stood, so did Third Brother, and Thrawn stood as well, hands clasped behind his back.

“If you intend to use any of my personnel and supplies, then you shall inform me of your strategy. Grand Moff Tarkin did send you to my ship.” A fact he was still very, very bitter at. But he still required to know everything that was going on in his ship, discretion or not from the orders of Tarkin.

The Third Brother scoffed. “Maybe we will, if you start telling us more interesting things.” But he wouldn’t hold his breath over it.

As Thrawn wouldn’t hold his breath over enjoying the Inquisitors’ presence.

 

[Lucyfer]

Eli did raise a brow at Cora’s question. ‘Why should I—’ He shut the question off quickly. He didn’t really want to leave Cora’s company, and it wasn’t as if it was a long walk, right? He wouldn’t be losing anything in doing that, “Yeah, I can – I don’t mind. Er. I want to.” He shouldn’t make it sound as if he didn’t want to.

Even if he questioned a bit of the practicality of it.

And wouldn’t enjoy the walk back to his own room on his own.

Oh well.

He stepped out of his room to accompany Cora back to hers, nodding for her to lead the way. He knew it wouldn’t be in this area, given this was for the higher officers of the Chimaera.

What the hell did he talk about now? ‘Damnit.’

~***~

Adlai rolled his eyes a little as the Child seemed to want his attention now, “There’s plenty of others,” he wondered if he could get Sabine or Ezra to take the kid. Maybe Kanan. Either way, for now, he picked the Child up and helped him into his lap. He grinned at Skye as she came out in overlarge clothes, trying not to chuckle at it.

“Yes, he’s a precious dear,” Adlai indicated about the child, only a touch of sarcasm. He liked kids, but he was always anxious about other people’s kids. He didn’t want to inadvertently do something wrong that would end up hurting them. Other kids could make him nervous.

Ae’lia was mentally running through the list of cantinas she and Lin could go to, and when Lin returned, she posed, “How about the Moondust on Vos Gesal street?” it was a popular street for the entertainment district, and the Moondust was several steps up from the Outlander club, which was really more for gambling.

“Do you think you can get us there, Ahsoka?”

It was a bit more…well…in Coruscant than she might want to go.

Sabine had no idea what these sorts of places were, but she was starting to realize who Ae’lia was now with Lin back in…well, non-Imperial clothes. She wasn’t going to say it, though. She was going to focus on the weirdly adorable baby.

~***~

Third Brother almost laughed at Thrawn’s command to tell them what they used. They didn’t need to. It was the polite thing to do, but Thrawn wasn’t really doing much to help them in their mission, so he didn’t see a need to do so. “We’ll let you know whatever’s necessary,” Third Brother stated, which he knew his colleague would at least interpret accurately.

They would tell Thrawn jack-shit.

They’d report to Tarkin or Vader what was necessary, and really, Tarkin. Tarkin wasn’t as liable to choke them through a hologram, and Vader wasn’t as likely to choke Tarkin for news, either. Third Brother didn’t know what went on between Vader and Tarkin, but he was also pretty sure he didn’t want to know what went on between Tarkin and Vader. He didn’t even want to imagine it.

“I’m sure anything we use, you can bill the Empire for, and they’ll send you shiny new shit, so don’t worry,” he waved it off, “We’ll go find our quarters, I’m sure you’ve got more important things to do,” he already had an idea of where they were, he’d just harass some lieutenant if it became difficult to actually find it.

Unlikely.

All Imperial ships were the same.

 

[cleopat]

Cora continued to fret that she made a mistake in asking Eli to join her, even as he agreed to do so. I’m being too forward, aren’t I? I’m misreading something here.

She smiled at him though, as he left with her and she began to lead the way. There was a slight silence, as neither spoke up at first, and Cora began to panic. What if she did make a mistake, and now things were going to be awkward between them?

Oh come now, don’t overthink this.

If her siblings could see her now, or even Faro, they would all be laughing at her. She was sure of that.

She wouldn’t allow the silence to linger too long though. “Did you have some idea of where we would eat for brunch tomorrow?” Well, not the best conversation topic, but she couldn’t allow the silence.

~~~

Skye returned to the bench beside Adlai, grinning down at the baby who looked up at both of them with a curious gaze and a soft coo.

“The baby looks like he prefers you. I’ll take a pass,” Ezra said with a chuckle, a sentiment Kanan agreed with.

When Lin returned, he looked to Ae’lia as she posed a suggestion for where they should be dropped off at. “Yeah, the Moondust sounds good,” he agreed, looking to Ahsoka.

Ahsoka took a moment to think about the location, and the possible trouble that could happen, but she eventually nodded. “Yeah, I can get you there.” They would have to be careful, but she held little concern for that possibility. She turned back to the cockpit to punch in the exact coordinates of where they were headed, now with a plan in mind.

Suddenly, small whimpers came from the Child, and Skye looked down at the baby with a frown. “Aww, is someone getting sleepy? I bet it’s been an exhausting day for you.”

~~~

Fourth Brother indeed interpret what Third Brother said with ease. He already had the idea of making this as difficult on Grand Admiral Thrawn as possible. He was the one being difficult after all. All the Admiral had to do was tell them what they wanted to know.

And yet, he didn’t for some reason. Maybe for his own glory. Foolish.

“Indeed I do,” Thrawn agreed. And he didn’t want to linger around them even further by showing them to their rooms. “It’s not that far from here either way.” Unfortunate for him.

Really, really unfortunate.

Fourth Brother scoffed. “Let’s get out of here. We have much to discuss, after all,” he said to the other Inquisitor, already making his way to the door.

 

[Lucyfer]

Eli was also fairly certain Faro would be laughing at the both of them for the way they left something so comfortable, into something so awkward. It was just a walk back to her room, it wasn’t that bad, right? Yet, somehow, it seemed to hold so many more implications that Eli hadn’t thought of.

Should he kiss her before leaving?

Should he just leave and save that until after the ‘real’ date?

She wasn’t going to ask him to join her, was she?

‘Stars….’

He was glad for the distraction of a question, at any rate. “There was a place near the amusement park, the Flutterbird Diner. It sounded like it had a really good brunch,” and was known mostly for brunch, since it closed a couple hours after noon. No real dinner service there, which Eli thought was good for this case.

They wouldn’t eat at the same place twice, at any rate.

~***~

Adlai gave a mock-huff as no one else seemed to want to take the Child off his hands. Someone would have to, when they reached Coruscant, and he decided already it would be Zeb. He would probably be the most awkward with the kid, so that might at least provide a few moments of amusement to everyone else.

At least right now the child was behaving. No vomiting on his shirt, at any rate. “It has been,” Ae’lia confirmed Skye’s assumption, “he had to do some running from Inquisitors, too,” unfortunate, really.

Adlai looked up with some concern, “I thought you were to be there before any Inquisitor showed up?”

“It didn’t end up working out, we were found by First Sister,” Ae’lia answered, “She’s no more,” so that threat was at least eliminated, but it didn’t make her any happier. She wasn’t about to say who else had been there, and really hoped they’d hit Coruscant before it became a question, “I have a feeling Shay knows now, though.”

Adlai gave a sympathetic wince as he understood. “That’s…going to be an interesting meeting.”

At least the Child was now starting to doze against his chest. He would just hold it lightly there and let the poor thing sleep. It clearly needed it. Even if it would also, probably, wake up again and act like it didn’t.

 

[cleopat]

Cora nodded. “That sounds good! And its location near the amusement park should hopefully mean it’s good,” as those restaurants would need to cater to hungry amusement park go-ers. And not to mention that having it so close would mean more time at the park.

She could hardly wait for tomorrow.

Calm yourself, girl.

All too soon, or maybe not soon enough, Cora stopped before the door to her quarters. “Well, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.” She flashed Eli a smile, and as she had done earlier that day in the hangar, she leaned forward to give him a chaste kiss on the cheek.

~~~

Skye shot Ae’lia a look of sympathy. Dealing with an Inquisitor, and now having to deal with Shay finding out her secret. Her own secret remained just that, a secret, but if Ae’lia is getting outed…

“Well, you don’t have to go about that meeting alone, you know.” She canted her head. “We can take some of that stress off of her by telling her that she has not only one Jedi in the group, but two.”

“So you are willing to come out to Shay?” Lin asked, already bemused by the potential scene they would all witness at their next group meeting.

Skye nodded. “Let’s just hope I don’t end up regretting it when she tasks us with fighting more Inquisitors.” She absentmindedly rubbed her stomach at the thought, where the Grand Inquisitor managed to kick her.

“How is your stomach, by the way?” Kanan asked, noticing the movement.

“Oh it’s fine, no doubt there will be a nasty bruise tomorrow, but I’ve suffered worse.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Eli was thinking just that. A place that was mostly for brunch, and likely kept up with people just arriving to go to the park, had to be good. He hoped so, anyways. He didn’t want to end up taking Cora to some shithole; that wouldn’t look good for him. But he’d read some reviews, and no one was really saying anything bad. Sometimes the wait times weren’t great, but that could be overlooked.

They made it to Cora’s room, and before he could say good night, she was leaning forward to kiss him on the cheek again. ‘Should I?’ A thought crossed his mind, and before her lips reached his cheek, he turned his head to steal a kiss, meeting her lips with his own.

He felt the flare of heat as soon as he’d done it, but he decided he’d only regret it if she was angry. Hopefully, she wouldn’t be, and wouldn’t pull away too quick, but he didn’t reach up to hold her to him – just in case this was absolutely not what she wanted right then.

~***~

Ae’lia was surprised by Skye’s offer, much as Adlai was, “You don’t have to,” Ae’lia said, though she imagined Skye was already determined to do as much. Their meeting likely would be tomorrow, or the following day, if her venture with Thrawn was taking place at an inconvenient time.

Somehow, she wasn’t sure if she’d rather have the meeting before that, or after.

For once she wasn’t looking forward to seeing Thrawn.

“You’ll have time to think, I won’t out you,” Ae’lia offered, so she knew that Ae’lia wouldn’t be upset if she changed her mind between now and then. “I know she won’t send us to fight more Inquisitors, though. She still prefers staying more…hidden than that.”

Otherwise they’d do a lot more fighting.

“She might send you to assassinate Tarkin.” Adlai mused.

Ae’lia shivered at the thought. They were always on Coruscant, it would make some sense, but she didn’t see it happening. Tarkin probably dealt with 10 assassination attempts a week.