They were clearly at a stalemate. Each of them staring at the other, Pellaeon standing with his arms crossed and Thrawn sitting down looking strangely petulant.
It didn't suit the alien, but Pellaeon was unsurprised that it was the stance he had chosen to take given the nature of their argument.
The silence stretches on for a minute longer and finally the Admiral sighs, slumping back into his chair. "I'll stop."
"No," Pellaeon said with a firmness he normally wouldn't dare use towards his CO. "Look me in the eye and promise me."
Red eyes meet his for only a second. Pellaeon can see his annoyance in them, in the way he clenches his jaw, and his fingers tighten on the armrests, but he quickly looks away. Thrawn shifts around in his chair, looking anywhere and at anything except Pellaeon.
And he just waits patiently until Thrawn finally settles down with another sigh and looks back up at Pellaeon. "I promise to stop endangering my life unnecessarily for paintings."
"And—"
"I promise to stop endangering my life for paintings or other works that can be obtained by others."
Pellaeon stares at him for a second longer, gauging if he's being honest. For all his outward expression, Thrawn mostly just looks annoyed. But it's a trustworthy sort of annoyance, the kind he always shows when he's being made to do something he doesn't like. Pellaeon allows himself to relax in response, and nods. "Thank you."
Thrawn grumbles something under his breath but Pellaeon says nothing. He's happy to take what he can get, and if Thrawn wants to curse at him under his breath because he wants him to stop trying to get himself killed then Pellaeon can let it slide.