One minute, the Bargain Hunter had been transporting goods to Drixo the Hutt on the fringes of the Outer Rim and then the next they were being attacked by Drixo's rival Progga. Dubrak Qennto swore colorfully as he operated the weapons with Maris Ferasi, Jorj Car'das trying feverishly to calculate the jump to lightspeed under pressure. Seni Verath shook her head as she watched over her half-brother Jorj's shoulder while he disregarded proper procedures and pulled the lever in desperation. Dubrak was beside himself with fury when they found themselves in the Unknown Regions upon emerging from hyperspace, Maris immediately defending Jorj's panicked decision.
"Guys, I think we have a bigger problem." Seni interrupted dryly as Progga's ship appeared, evidently having followed them somehow. The Hutt hailed them, demanding the surrender of their goods, but his false promises of sparing them fell on deaf ears as they tried to figure a way out. The hyperdive required a lot of repair from being hit before the jump and the engines couldn't get them very far due to similar damage, leaving them with very limited options.
Dubrak swore again. "Someone distract Progga while I think of a plan."
Seni noticed a strange ship appear just as their ship completely lost power. "You really need to be careful what you wish for, Qennto."
"And you should watch your mouth, half-"
"Don't talk to my sister that way!" Jorj snarled as Progga's ship exploded after the Hutt stupidly fired on the strange alien ship.
Dubrak opened his mouth, no doubt to say something insulting when he was stopped by a tractor beam locking on the Bargain Hunter and pulling it into the hanger bay of the beings who would either be their rescuers or their deaths. They had no choice but to leave the ship after some arguing, finding the air breathable and a line of blue skinned and glowing red eyed aliens wearing black uniforms waiting for them in a nonthreatening manner.
Seni noticed that they had colored patches on their right upper arms and different pins on their collars, which she assumed indicated rank. She also noticed the alien soldiers had formed the line to keep them headed in the direction they wanted, which was to what looked like a private office where another blue skinned alien sat, watching them intently as they entered. The pins on his collar were more elaborate than the others she'd seen, so when Dubrak opened his mouth to be rude, she turned to glare at him. "This is probably the commanding officer, be disrespectful and you'll never get your payment because they'll kill us."
The alien raised a blue-black eyebrow, which told them he didn't understand Basic. He gestured to the chairs in front of his desk, then folded his hands together like he was waiting to see what happened next.
Seni exchanged glances with her brother and they took the seats offered while Dubrak glowered beside a curious Maris. "We could try some trade languages?"
Jorj nodded. "Good idea." He began inquiring in the different ones he knew with no response. He was obviously starting to worry he wouldn't find one they understood because he was running out of other languages he spoke, eventually getting to the last one. "Sy Bisti?"
"That will do." The alien replied in the language, surveying them coolly. "I am Commander Mitth'raw'nuruodo of the Chiss Expansionary Defense Force, but you may address me by my core name Thrawn if that is easier. Why are you all doing in our sector?"
"Commander Thrawn, I'm Jorj Car'das, pilot for the Bargain Hunter. This is my half sister Seni Verath who acts as my assistant and over there are Captain Dubrak Qennto and Second in Command Maris Ferasi." He gestured to each of them as they were introduced. Seni managed a small smile and Maris gave a nod, elbowing Dubrak who grunted an acknowledgement. "We are here because that other ship you destroyed was attacking us in the Outer Rim, I made a badly calculated jump to hyperspace and we ended up here. Unfortunately, our attacker followed us too and the jump damaged our ship even more."
"And why was the other ship attacking you?"
Jorj looked unsure of how to answer the question, so Seni decided on as close to the truth as she could get without making Dubrak want to kill her. "We refused to do business with them and they found out where we were, sir."
Mitth'raw'nuruodo nodded, though he didn't look entirely convinced as he asked: "Your tone to your Captain indicated you knew I was the one in charge, how did you come to that conclusion?"
"The pins on you collar are more elaborate than the others." She gestured to his uniform. "Each one I saw was different in design, so I assumed it was indication of rank. Even without that, it seemed pretty obvious since the soldiers were forming a line purposefully to this room where you were holding yourself like a leader."
"Impressive attention to detail." Mitth'raw'nuruodo studied her for a moment. "What did you say that prevented him from speaking?"
She felt self conscious and imagined Dubrak would be more unpleasant to her than usual for the next week or so, but she didn't care. "I told him if he was rude, you would kill us and then he wouldn't be able to do business with anyone."
"You were correct. Are you traveling merchants?"
Jorj nodded. "Yes, sir. We usually have luxury items like clothing, but we're out of most of our stock."
Mitth'raw'nuruodo looked at him, then Seni as if debating whether or not they spoke the truth. "Very well. Since your ship is badly damaged, you may stay in guest quarters as we travel back to my base. It would not be safe for you to drift in space while trying to make repairs."
"Thank you, Captain Thrawn." Jorj said, shooting Dubrak a warning glance because he looked like he wanted to protest.
They were shown to different rooms and Seni found she couldn't sleep, so she went to the Bargain Hunter to get her art bag. She froze as she saw Mitth'raw'nuruodo inside with two other Chiss who had found the secret compartments with fire crystals Dubrak was smuggling for Drixo. His glowing red eyes rested on her and she met his gaze. "I see you figured out what I was hinting at."
"I could see you were hesitant to speak freely in the presence of your captain. I assume he gave you orders to tell no one about your real cargo?"
"Yes, he did. He's very paranoid about people stealing his steady income."
Mitth'raw'nuruodo inclined his head. "He was tense in the manner of someone hiding something, but why are you disobeying orders by speaking to me?"
She felt her lips twitch. "Because I prefer being honest. Besides, I technically never told you about the secret holds or what we were carrying in them, getting around the orders. Captain Qennto would see it differently, but he has never liked me."
"I noticed he dislikes anyone different, even you who look more like them except for your pointed ears. May I?"
She felt her cheeks warm as he gestured to the ears she'd inherited from her father, nodding. His touch was soft and his expression so intrigued, she couldn't help but smile a little. "Never seen a half Sephi before?"
"No, I cannot say I have. What are Sephi?"
"A long lived Near-Human race that are part of the Galactic Republic. Being half human, I probably won't live to be two hundred, but I will definitely age slower thanks to my Sephi half."
He nodded. "And which side gave you an artistic and tactical eye?"
She grabbed her bag from beside where she usually sat. "Both, actually. My father was attracted to my mother due to her attention to detail, which led to them marrying. A lot of people were scandalized because he had been her art teacher there on Corellia, not to mention being several years her senior at one hundred while she was still in her thirties."
He raised a blue-black eyebrow fractionally. "Chiss sometimes do not marry till they are considered old and the spouse is either close in age or younger, so I fail to see how that is a problem, even if the age differences aren't so drastic."
"Well humans as a general rule love to make a big deal about that sort of thing. It's stupid in my opinion, but that's because I grew up in a home where we were taught to keep an open mind."
"I noticed you and your brother were the only ones willing to try communicating."
She felt her lips twitch. "That's because we usually handle the diplomatic side of traveling. Captain Qennto isn't exactly talented on that front."
"How did he ever get business before he employed you two?" Mitth'raw'nuruodo asked incredulously.
"Probably let his girlfriend do all the talking. Maris is actually pretty nice so I don't know how she ended up with him, but love is sometimes strange."
She could have sworn Mitth'raw'nuruodo looked a little surprised. "I would have never guessed they were in a relationship."
She laughed softly. "Yeah, they're not exactly public about it. Last time Maris spent time with another guy, Captain Qennto got very jealous though."
"Wouldn't it be better for them if they got married?"
"I think so, but their relationship is none of my business." She realized the other two Chiss were still there, watching as they conversed and it dawned on her she was talking a little too casually with their commander, which could be viewed as disrespectful. "Well Commander Mitth'raw'nuruodo, I thank you for your time and hospitality. I should get to bed now."
He looked impressed she had managed to say his full name properly. "Of course, Seni Verath." He turned to the others and said something to them in another language she didn't recognize, making them nod. "It is a pleasure speaking with you. May I walk you back to your room?"
She hoped she wasn't blushing as she nodded. "I would appreciate that, Commander. I'd hate to get lost and have to ask for directions, hoping whoever it was understands Sy Bisti."
"Most of my officers do, but not all of them are keen to have a species we're not familiar with aboard our ship."
"I can't say I blame them, especially since we arrived under the guise of merchants." She sighed softly as they walked together. "I dislike when Qennto makes us claim that smuggling is the same thing as being a regular seller."
He studied her for a moment, stopping in front of the door to her room. "I doubt he sees the difference."
She couldn't help laughing a bit. "You know Commander Mitth'raw'nuruodo, you read people you just met pretty well."
"Thank you. You say my full name perfectly for someone who is not a Chiss."
"I have a knack for being able to catch on to how alien races say their names, sir. It adds a level of respect most people don't bother showing."
He smiled just visibly. "It has not gone unnoticed. Good night, Seni Verath."
She definitely was blushing as she opened the door. "You know...you can just call me Seni."
"In that case, you may simply call me Thrawn when we are alone."
"If you insist." She managed to say calmly, liking the idea of more private conversations with him. When he inclined his head, her cheeks colored more. "Good night, Thrawn." She stepped inside and her last view was of him framed by the doorway impressively. I know who I want to draw next. She thought as she felt a yawn, crawling into bed and drifting off to sleep.