AN: Wow, thanks to all who have already followed! Meline387, thanks for the review, I'm excited for the new story, as well! I've always imagined Thrass as younger than Thrawn - I feel like that would annoy Thrawn a little bit more, that his younger brother feels the need to interfere with his personal life and decisions.

Oh, someone asked me the other day about how to pronounce Chiara's name. It should be pronounced Key-are-ah. When I invented her character years ago, it was originally spelled Kiara, but then Lion King 2 came out and stole that spelling (that dates her character concept a little, LOL!), so I went with an alternate spelling, but it is still said the same way.


Chapter 1

Three weeks later, Chiara found herself back on the Springhawk's bridge, looking down at a cold, white planet.

"Welcome to Csilla," Thrawn murmured beside her. He stepped away annd raised his voice to address the bridge crew. "Helm, take us in and begin landing procedures."

It didn't take long for them to put down in a hangar that had been carved into the layer of ice that covered the planet. The Whirlwind and the Nightshade set down on either side of them and their complement of clawcraft landed behind them in perfect formation.

Thrawn gestured towards the bridge door. "Shall we?"

They found a small welcome party awaiting them at the foot of the boarding ramp. A tall Chiss male dressed in a pristine white uniform with a regal bearing stepped forward to address them. "In the name of the Chiss, I greet you. We thank you for your service and welcome you home."

Thrawn inclined his head slightly. "Do you guarantee my safety and the safety of my crew?"

"I guarantee your safety with my life and the lives of those at my command," the white-clad Chiss intoned.

"Admiral, may I present Jedi Master Chiara Matao of the Galactic Republic. Chiara, this is Admiral In'trinala of the Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet," Thrawn said, the welcoming ceremony apparently at an end.

"It is an honor to meet you, Admiral," Chiara greeted him, giving a half-bow.

The Admiral's expression tightened just noticeably. "Commander, why have you brought this outsider here?" he demanded, ignoring her greeting.

"She is under my protection, Sir," Thrawn answered, his voice going a little stiff as he protectively took half a step towards her.

The Admiral, Chiara noted, did not look pleased about that. "I see. You are free for the rest of theh day, Commander. Report at 0900 tomorrow for your new assignment."

"Yes, Admiral," Thrawn replied. He gave Chiara a microscopic smile as he lead her toward the hangar bay exit. Although they were in a cave made of ice, Chiara noted that the temperature was cool, but comfortable.

Thrawn lead her through a short tunnel shored up with metal walls into an incredibly large cavern. Huge lights were suspended from the dome-like celinging, illuminating a large, bustling city.

"I knew your cities were under the ice, but I wasn't prepared for anything so spectacular. Which city is this?" she breathed.

"This is Csaplar," he told her. "Our house is this way."

Our house. Chiara still felt odd just having a few meager possessions; the thought of owning a home filled with belongings was completely beyond her. Thrawn pointed out a few places of interest to her as they made their way through the city.

"The base is over there," he said, indicating a sprawling series of connected buildings. "The market is over there, so it is easily within walking distance." It didn't take them long to reach a residential area. Thrawn threaded his way through the buildings and stopped in front of a modest, moderately-sized house that faced the base. "And here we are," he said, pressing his hand against the door sensor.

The front door slid open to reveal a comfortable looking living area and compact kitchen. Chiara stepped in and saw three doors leading off the main area. She noted Thrawn's ever-present artwork scattered around the room.

"What do you think?" Thrawn prompted, putting his arms around her and kissing the tip of her ear.

"It looks very comfortable. It's perfect," she told him.

He gently spun her around and brushed his lips against hers. She signed against the warmth of his lips and returned his tender kiss. His hands tugged the hem of her shirt upwards.

"Were you planning on showing me the rest?" she chastised him in a softly teasing tone, pushing him away.

Now it was his turn to sigh, but his sounded more like it was out of frustration than contentment. "As you wish," he replied smoothly, his glowing eyes flaming with desire as he took hand and lead her towards the door on the left. "This is our bedroom."

"Mmm," she said, raising his hand to her lips. "Save that one for last."

Thrawn's eyes flashed in amusement and anticipation as he lead her instead to the one on the right. "This is my study..."


Later in the afternoon, Chiara and Thrawn went to the market to pick up some food for dinner. His cooler had been stocked for him prior to their return, but Thrawn had wanted to make something specific that he apparently hadn't been able to get while on the base. Chiara was eager to go with him to see and experience more of the Chiss culture.

After they picked up a few ingredients for dinner, Thrawn suggested she stop in a clothing shop to pick up a few pairs of clothing. Apparently, they had been breaking rules on the base by allowing her to wear extra uniforms. Now that they were back on Csilla, Thrawn seemed this wasn't a good idea to continue and she only owned one civilian set of clothing. He had something to pick up a few shops farther down the row, so he told her to go in and start looking and he would join her shortly.

Chiara ignored the politely curious looks that many of the Chiss in the marketplace gave her, as well as the openly wary or hostile expressions of a few. She had traveled to hundreds of worlds in her life and never felt so out of place, before. She was the only non-Chiss to be seen in a sea of blue skin and glowing eyes. She slipped into the clothing shop and breathed a sigh of relief at being away from their prying eyes. Although they were too polite to openly question her, she could feel their inquisitiveness and vague distrust through the Force.

This is going to take some getting used to, she thought as she moved through the stacks of clothing.

"Good afternoon and welcome," an smoothly modulated voice greeted her in Cheunh.

"Good afternoon. I thank you for your welcome," she answered in Minnisiat, using the formal reply that Thrawn had taught her. Keenly aware of the tension that suddenly filled the air, Chiara studiously kept her attention on the tunic she had been considering as a tall, middle-aged Chiss male appeared from behind one of the displays. He hissed in displeasure as he caught sight of her.

"What are you doing here, outsider?" He demanded, snatching the tunic from her grasp. "My wares are not made for the likes of you."

Chiara felt her stomach twist. "My apologies, I meant no disrespect," she assured him, backing towards the door. She went outside and waiting for Thrawn, even more acutely aware of the curious and inhospitable glances that the Chiss passerbys were throwing her way.

It came as a relief when Thrawn appeared through the crowd, a compact package tucked under one arm and a bag of groceries in hand. He frowned when he noticed that she was empty-handed.

"Did you not find anything you liked?" he asked.

Chiara ducked her head in embarrassment. "No. The proprietor, ah... he chased me out for being an alien."

Thrawn's face hardened into an unreadable mask. "Did he?" He took her elbow and inexorably steered her back towards the door of the shop.

"Thrawn, it's fine. Let's just go home," she pleaded.

"No, it's not," he told her firmly. "We are going to go back in there and get what we came for."

The shopkeepers expression darkened when he saw her come back in. "I told you-" he started.

"Chaf'ist'asa," Thrawn interrupted smoothly, shifting his package to the other side so he could put his arm around Chiara's waist in a clearly protective gesture. "Is there a problem here?"

Chaf'ist'asa looked from Thrawn to Chiara, to the shiny new command insignias on Thrawn's collar, then to where his hand rested almost casually on Chiara's hip. "Ah, no, Sir. Not if she is with you," he said grudgingly.

"Good," Thrawn said coolly, holding his gaze for a few more seconds. "Go on," he murmured in Chiara's ear in Basic. She hesitated another moment before she stepped away from him and resumed her browsing.