The Last Night

Foreword: I've seen so much Pellaeon/Thrawn fiction, yet I don't think I've ever seen Thrawn paired with Parck. Considering how little time Thrawn and Pellaeon were together and how much Thrawn and Parck were, this seems downright odd to me. I know, I know, the book with Pellaeon has been out a lot longer. Anyway, I was wondering about that oddity, and then this happened.

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars or any of the characters. I'm just playing around. No one pays me for this nonsense.

"I'm going to miss you, you know."

Thrawn chuckled, and Parck craned his neck to see the Chiss over his shoulder.

"I'll miss you too, of course. But it has to be done."

"I know," Parck sighed. "I just…" He ran out of words.

Thrawn's hand caressed him, trailing up and down his bare back. "It will only be for a short time. A year, two at the most, and I should be ready to reveal the Empire of the Hand."

It should have made Parck feel better, but for some reason it didn't. "That Captain Pellaeon, of the Chimaera. I hear he's loyal. Dependable. A good officer."

"He is," Thrawn confirmed, lying down beside Parck and drawing him against his chest. "I worked with him briefly, when we fought Nuso Esva in the Poln system. I believe he has potential; else I wouldn't have selected the Chimaera to be my flagship."

Dependable, loyal, hard-working, intelligent…does he realize the same qualities he values in his subordinates he also seeks in a lover?

Thrawn sat up, letting Parck roll onto his back and meeting his eyes. "What's wrong?"

Parck shook his head. "It's nothing. I'm being foolish."

Cool blue fingertips caressed his cheek. "I'm not going to take up with Pellaeon in your absence." Parck looked up, saw a small smile on the other man's lips. "I value loyalty because I possess it, you know."

"I know. But he seems like your type. And two years is a really long time to sleep in a cold bed."

"It doesn't matter." Thrawn bent down, kissing him roughly on the lips, possessive. "You are my oldest supporter and friend. No matter how good-looking or intelligent Pellaeon turns out to be, he doesn't have the history, the bond that we do." His lips brushed Parck's forehead. "I won't throw this away for anything."

Looking into his lover's eyes, Parck could finally make himself believe it was the truth. "Thanks. That means…more to me than I can say."

Thrawn lay back down, and Parck let the Chiss spoon him. "Just a short while, and we can be together again."

Parck nodded, his eyes heavy and his heart light.