CHAPTER 39
Steadfast
Kom'rk-class Fighter – 2 BBY
Shut up and let me carry you.
Bo Katan rustled in her sleep, her eyes peeling themselves open through the natural sealant they had manufactured. Immediately, she noticed, her head was throbbing, and her slow, strenuous realization of that reality enticed her hand to slide up and press against the area of that pain, feeling cotton in its place. A bandage, it seemed, one that raised questions her groggy mind wasn't ready to process yet. Her vision did the rest, turning her head to see a young girl watching her turn over, hands behind her back.
"Bo…?" Alhara asked, cocking her head as she approached the cot. "How many fingers am I holding up?"
Bo Katan frowned, trying to narrow her eyes in focus of the girl's hand…but really only saw a blur. "Is that you…Alhara?"
"Yeah…yeah it's me!" a sip of joy joined her tone. "How are you feeling?"
She blinked a few times, finally able to make out Alhara's face, but winced again as she grasped her head. "Like…the morning after a bottle of Rancor's Gut."
Alhara frowned.
"Oh…sorry," Bo Katan said, her voice low and strained but smiling, nonetheless. "Adult metaphor."
"Oh," Alhara nodded. "Do you remember what happened?"
Bo pursed her lips, trying her best to think, but to no avail. "The last thing I remember…we were…" she felt her eyes widen, her mind catching up to the moment. "You ran out when I told you not to."
The girl swallowed, bowing her head. "Sorry…but it worked, didn't it?"
"Maybe," Bo Katan conceded. "But I can't have you doing that again. I need to be able to trust you to follow my direction, even if you don't like it. If we're not in combat, that's one thing, but in combat…"
"One mistake can get me killed," Alhara recited, her head still bowed. "I know. I'm sorry. I didn't want you to get hurt."
Bo let her thin smile return. "Me getting hurt is part of the job. You, on the other hand, is not."
"Maybe when I understand the adult metaphors?" Alhara smiled.
"Maybe then," she nodded, and then made the observation that the girl still had one hand behind her back. "Are you hiding something from me?"
Alhara stared for a moment, then seemed to click, revealing her hand. "Oh! No, I was just—"
"Careful with that!" Bo Katan reached out and swiped the Darksaber from her hand, grimacing as her body protested the quick and sudden movement. "If you accidently turn it on…"
"I know how lightsabers work, Bo," Alhara crossed her arms as her smile faded into a frown of annoyance. "I didn't stick the emitter end in my face."
Bo Katan felt its weight in her hand, the lightness of the hilt somewhat new to her. She'd trained extensively in staff, stick and sword combat, but she hardly used melee weapons after she became an established warrior. Blasters and hand to hand had been what she was best at, so she usually stuck to what was most comfortable unless forced to adapt.
Plus, lugging around a beskad would ruin her form when in flight.
"Do you even know how to use it?" Alhara narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
Bo Katan scoffed. "Of course I know how to use it."
She flicked it on…but nothing happened. Flicked it again…still nothing.
"You don't know how to turn it on, do you?" Alhara deadpanned.
It was just a lightsaber. Bo Katan had seen plenty of those in her lifetime, sparked up with the push of a button to reveal the mesmerizingly colored blade of pure energy. All you had to do was press the button…press the button…
She couldn't find it.
Alhara stepped forward, and then pointed to an outlined panel in the grooves of the hilt. "It's sunk in, so you don't accidently press it when you're fighting, but also hidden enough so the edges don't cut your fingers."
Bo Katan looked when she pointed, then pressed the side of her thumb into the area.
Twoong.
The black and white blade illuminated the room, its hiss and screech just as she remembered it as she got a feel for the weapon. Light had no mass…so its weight was utterly unchanged, at least not to any degree she could detect, and yet she could feel the end of the blade. Its length extended in her grip in an inexplicable fashion, immediately feeling it connect to her.
All of Mandalore…she could unite it. With this, her claim to the throne could finally be recognized…finally bringing her people together to unleash their full might upon the Empire.
She could be Mand'alor…but…
Bo Katan extinguished the blade. She hadn't earned it yet…hadn't won the Darksaber, but taken it. Anyone could hold the weapon…Alhara could hold it, as it turned out, but that didn't make her Mandalore's ruler overnight. Birthright meant nothing to her people, only deeds and victories…victories she was yet to achieve.
Alhara seemed to read her mind, taking her free hand. "You'll earn the right to use it. I know you will."
Bo gave her a gracious smile, patting the girl's shoulder. "Thanks kid," she said, and then let her expression flip back to stern. "Have you done your workouts?"
Alhara froze, looking away. "No…"
"Well, go on," Bo Katan nudged her with her boot. "Oh and do two extra reps for pulling that stunt."
"But you said…!"
"I can make it three."
The girl huffed, and then rushed off to get started in a wide enough area of the ship, leaving Bo Katan to stare at that hilt a little longer.
Our struggle is only beginning, Kryze.
Indeed it was…and she imagined a lot more blood would need to be spilled to reach the end.
ISD Executrix – 2 BBY
Nerah hadn't been aboard Grand Moff Tarkin' flagship since she first arrived in Imperial space, and even after a decade in service to the Empire, it felt just as alien as before. The halls were so plain, lacking the artistic appeal Thrawn had added to the Chimaera, or perhaps she had just become so accustomed to traversing alien worlds that she had forgotten the fact that there were many, many other star destroyers in service. Part of her cursed herself for such a lack of awareness, and it only reinforced the fact that her weakness truly was in naval proceedings. It all just felt too safe…safe to the point that the hulls and shields blocked her ability to feel the battle around her. Perhaps she had just been born that way, and others like Thrawn and Admiral Ar'alani had a knack that she didn't, able to see a much bigger picture.
Yet she wondered how that could be any different from deciphering a route from point A to point B. Nerah could figure out a labyrinth in minutes, and yet couldn't comprehend all the tactic maneuvers Thrawn and Faro seemed to just throw out in the open when discussing how to respond on the bridge. It bothered her almost as much as not being able to speak Basic did when she arrived, forced to watch strange, lifeless eyes of aliens stare at her in confusion when the odd words fought with her accent.
That was all in the past now, but those lifeless eyes certainly weren't. As soon as they arrived, Nerah new well and plain that many of the officers aboard the Executrix were wondering why the hell a pair of aliens were pacing through their shared halls, perhaps even more why she was dressed in the armor of Imperial Special Forces…and why Thrawn was dressed like a Grand Admiral.
It only reminded her again of the conversation she had with Governor Pryce…how the woman threatened to end her career in fantastic fashion if she didn't find the rebel spy. Trouble was, she had…but Pryce didn't know that, and by now Nerah was only hoping Thrawn's relationship with the Emperor could protect her, or that the Governor had lost interest in the whole endeavor.
Part of her just wanted to go home…but she knew Thrawn needed her, and that fact had been enough to keep her spirits high enough to continue persevering.
But even that had its limits, and she imagined as more humans looked to her the way they did, she'd come closer and closer to breaching it.
At least Tarkin seemed somewhat tolerant of her presence.
"Good day, Grand Admiral," the man greeted, his hands situated behind his back as Thrawn inclined his head. "I trust your journey was without issue?"
"Indeed, Moff Tarkin," Thrawn said. "Once again, I thank you for scheduling this meeting."
"Its imperativeness cannot be understated," Tarkin agreed, and then turned to Nerah, prompting her to stiffen to attention. "Commander…I am afraid you will not be permitted to attend personally."
Nerah inclined her head. At least he had actually called her Commander. Then again, she had saved his life once, even if the wider Empire had no knowledge of the plot she had thwarted. "Yes sir, I understand."
She could see the diplomatic gratitude in his expression, perhaps acknowledging the past event. Tarkin had never been one to praise…but he never criticized unnecessarily, and did acknowledge good work. Thanks, of course, were not needed, as he had repaid that debt in his assistance securing her permanent station to the Chimaera and promotion to Commander.
And then, with that, Tarkin and Thrawn entered the conference room, shutting the door behind them.
At least Coruscant was pretty to look at out the viewport.
Four men are seated around the table, three of them eyeing the man in the forward chair. Their expressions hold anticipation, perhaps…battle awareness.
"Grand Admiral Thrawn, this is High Agent Gideon of the Imperial Security Bureau," Tarkin's voice holds distinct neutrality…perhaps even disinterest. Gideon turns in his chair, inclining his head toward Thrawn, his lips curling upwards in a smile…perhaps hiding something sinister.
"A pleasure to meet you, Admiral," his voice holds diplomatic charisma…but his eyes display a sense of combat readiness.
Tarkin turns to the other, his neutrality darkening into slight displeasure. "And this is Director Krennic."
"Admiral," Krennic said. His body language is loose, displaying confidence. His voice holds contempt…perhaps unfriendliness. "I hear you're trying to take away funds from my Stardust project."
"I only wish to secure the funds the Emperor promised me for my own project," Thrawn assured.
Krennic's eyes tighten, before turning to Gideon. "And you. I'm struggling to determine how you even achieved authorization to attend this meeting."
Gideon's stature does not falter, his eyes locked squarely on Krennic, his voice holding diplomatic ease. "Colonel Yularen is unavailable at the moment, and has chosen me to sit in his stead regarding our own Alpha Red initiative."
There is a pause for four seconds, Krennic and Gideon's gazes caught together, until Krennic finally turns away.
"If you are all finished with your pleasantries, I believe we can begin," Tarkin's finger keys the comm, and the silence persists for another eleven seconds. The lights dim as the hologram of the Emperor appears at the center of the table.
"Good day, Governor Tarkin," the Emperor greeted. "Director Krennic, High Agent Gideon, Grand Admiral Mitth'raw'nuruodo."
"Good day, Your Majesty," Tarkin's voice holds increased anticipation. "As you know, Project Stardust has fallen dangerously behind schedule, three weeks to be exact, so I inquired Grand Admiral Thrawn and High Agent Gideon for consultation."
"So I see," The Emperor's lips turn downwards. "Grand Admiral…your assessment?"
"Out of discretion, Your Majesty, I have actually not informed him of the current crisis. I thought it prudent to protect the project's secrecy."
"Very wise, Governor Tarkin." His eyes turn to Krennic. His voice holds controlled anger. "Perhaps you, Director, can oblige the three of us."
"The situation is well in hand, Your Majesty," Krennic's muscles in his neck stiffen, but his voice still holds confidence. "We have just encountered a minor nuisance with our supply points, nothing more."
"Three weeks delay can hardly be considered merely a nuisance," Tarkin's voice holds triumph.
"The situation is under control," Krennic's voice begins to hold quiet annoyance. "Our supply routes have been targeted at a higher rate than when the project began, nothing more."
"Targeted?" Gideon's voice holds quiet intrigue. "If Project Stardust's secrecy has been as imperative as you've implied, then no one should've been able to locate your supply points."
"There is no pattern to the raids, Your Majesty," Krennic's annoyance rises, his brow twitching for control. "Each time we reinforce one, they target another, and we can't spare the resources to protect all the routes at once."
"You are allowing brigands to halt the completion of Stardust?" The Emperor's controlled anger begins to unravel.
"I can assure you, my Lord, Stardust will be completed on time…but it would require more heavily armed escort patrols."
"Which in turn, requires more funding," Tarkin said. "I believe what Director Krennic is suggesting, is that we pull our funding from both the TIE Defender and Alpha Red projects to accelerate the lagging progress of Stardust."
Krennic's muscles in his lip twitch as his annoyance becomes anger…perhaps expected inevitability. "I am suggesting—"
"Silence yourself, Director," The Emperor turns his gaze to Thrawn. "Grand Admiral Mitth'raw'nuruodo. Your assessment?"
"If a pirate or rebel group has managed to subvert Stardust…the implications are unpleasant," Thrawn said. "I do not believe increasing defense patrols will solve the problem…only forestall it. However, I have duties in regard to the pursuit of Admiral Reyna Vorchenko."
The muscles in Tarkin's neck and eyes tighten, his lips flattening…until finally curling downwards. "Evidence may suggest these two events are related, Grand Admiral."
"I suppose the possibility exists," Thrawn admitted. "However, I believe High Agent Gideon would be more privy to an investigative task."
"High Agent Gideon is already looking into the situation," The tension in Tarkin's expression loosens. "However he lacks your adeptness in naval strategy, as well as your specific method of problem-solving and tactics…skills Director Krennic should have already possessed."
"This bickering tires me," the Emperor said. "Governor, you arranged this meeting. What exactly was your intent?"
"As I stated before, Your Majesty, Director Krennic is suggesting the funds being currently funneled into the TIE Defender and Alpha Red projects be transferred to Stardust to accelerate its completion back on schedule. I propose that if Grand Admiral Thrawn and High Agent Gideon manage to solve the problem of his missing supply ships, those funds be directly restored to their respective projects."
"A trade?" the Emperor asked. His eyes turn back to Krennic, his lips turning down. "Director Krennic. Would you be willing?"
"I would. That is if the two of them are able to solve the issue in one week."
"One week is hardly enough time." Gideon's voice holds suspicion.
"It shouldn't be a problem for men of your talents," Krennic said. "Unless of course, your reputations have been exaggerated."
All eyes turn to Thrawn. "Admiral Mitth'raw'nuruodo?" the Emperor inquired.
"I accept," Thrawn said.
Gideon's expression holds distinct surprise. He studies Thrawn for seven seconds, his eyebrow rising for a moment, until falling again.
"Very well, I accept," Gideon said.
"Good. Director Krennic, you will provide High Agent Gideon and Admiral Thrawn the necessary information to complete their task. Admiral Mitth'raw'nuruodo, you have one week." The hologram keys off, leaving the room to silence.
"One more thing," Krennic interjected. "I will be sending a representative along to observe and report your progress."
"I hardly think that's necessary," Tarkin's voice holds a hint of triumph.
"I know what you're up to Tarkin," Krennic's voice holds an intense amount of rage, his eyes tightened to a harsh narrow. "If any Stardust funds are to be transferred, then I must ensure that Imperial protocol and procedure has been followed without question."
"Very well," Thrawn said. "You will provide my ship with the coordinates of the last incursion in the next quarter hour. In that time, your representative must be aboard, or will be left behind."
"Not to worry, Admiral. Both will be arriving in tandem."
All men rise from their chairs, Krennic pacing out quickly, while Gideon approaches Thrawn. "Allow me to escort you to your shuttle, Admiral, and on the way we can discuss the extent of our new partnership."
Nerah was surprised by the speed in which Thrawn reemerged from the conference room, her gaze pulled from her MAHI as she quickly closed it down and stood at attention. She was even more surprised to find him with someone she had never seen before.
"Commander, follow us if you will," Thrawn directed, prompting her to follow him and the black-armored ISB officer in tow.
"Perhaps she should leave us to our discussion. The details…"
"Not to worry, High Agent Gideon. Commander Nerah will be a part of our operations and is one of my most trusted officers. She will need to be included for us to succeed."
Gideon eyed her for a moment, and she wondered how Commander stacked up against High Agent in terms of rank and file…but figured if he was in that meeting with Thrawn, then her question had already been answered.
"Very well," he conceded. "I have heard of her skills. Very impressive."
"Indeed," Thrawn agreed. "Will you be accompanying us on the Chimaera?"
"I don't believe that would be most efficient," Gideon shook his head. "I operate better with a smaller crew, but I will give you a private comm channel where we can share our findings."
Nerah tried to suppress her confusion, but she truly didn't have the slightest clue what they were going on about. She thought Thrawn was merely presenting the abilities of his TIE Defender to the Emperor to convince him to keep its funding. Now he was walking beside a high ranking ISB operative in a hurry, speaking as if they had an entirely new assignment.
How could anything be more important than stopping Reyna Vorchenko?
Steadfast – 2 BBY
Eli Vanto hadn't been one for high risks and dangerous bets, not until he had met Thrawn all those years ago. He imagined if he hadn't, he'd likely have been the first officer of an Imperial cruiser by this point, waiting patiently for his chance to finally be in command…but likely would've topped out there.
The reality was, he had met Thrawn, and now he was a Lieutenant aboard the chiss warship Steadfast, drifting in deep space. There was plenty more as far as the details went, but his career had been dominated by roadblocks, setbacks…and perhaps some of the best work he dared to consider his own. Leaving the Empire…and the Chimaera behind hadn't been a decision he had taken lightly, but after seeing some of the threats firsthand that waited on the edges of the Empire…he hardly regretted it. To them, he was a deserter, but he imagined most simply believed he was dead. Eli wasn't sure which option was preferable.
His first order of business was to be demoted from Commander to Lieutenant, which was hardly surprising, as merit was a far greater indicator of skill within a hierarchy, and Eli had none among the chiss. Soon after, he had begun his courses in the chiss language Cheunh, in which now his fluency in it was still shoddy at best. Most, if not all of the crew of the Steadfast was fluent in the Sy Bisti trade language, but if Eli were going to earn any sort of that aforementioned merit, speaking the language would go a long way towards that end.
What had surprised him was what his commanding officer, Admiral Ar'alani, had assigned him to. With his skillset and stature, he expected some sort of command post, but instead he had been relegated to analysis of numbers, patterns and never-ending data. He was good at spotting patterns, sure, but the purpose of it all still eluded him…and he had begun to feel his motivation to continue falter at times, which usually lead to his mind wandering with boredom.
And it had almost always wandered back to Nerah.
Eli winced. He'd told himself time and time again that he would likely never see her again…either because of the vastness of the galaxy, or that someone in the Imperial brass would get her killed. Seeing her used as such a tool was what had drawn him to her in the first place, and as he had got to know that quiet, secluded young woman…he'd learned of her righteous and kind heart, the soul of a woman who, despite all the hardships before her, never let that pain pass on to another. He'd always been able to spot the flaws in someone's character, but Nerah…she was different.
And he'd left her.
Nothing to do about it now.
His commlink chimed, and he keyed it on. "Lieutenant Eli'van'to. Report to the bridge as soon as possible."
Admiral Ar'alani had assigned him the chiss version of his own name, perhaps as a way of normalizing him among the crew, to which he at least appreciated, despite the strangeness of it.
"Copy that Admiral, on my way," he reported, rising from his station.
"Make it fast."
Chimaera – 2 BBY
Nerah had heard rumors and mentions about a project "Stardust" for many years, but never actually deciphered what it was. Only now did she realize that no one really did, outside of a very select few in the highest echelons of the Galactic Empire…and as far as she could tell, Thrawn was not one of those select few. That came as a surprise, since there were only twelve total Grand Admirals, and Nerah wasn't aware of anything between them and the Emperor. Perhaps Vader, but he was a special case.
What she couldn't understand was how these cargo shipments were being raided by mere pirates, especially if this project were so secret. Her gut told her there was more to it, and there had to be, otherwise Thrawn would've never been called to deal with this in the first place.
They arrived at the point of the last attack a few hours after leaving Coruscant, taking them in the direction of the galactic north towards wild space, which had only been a few parsecs from where she and Thrawn had emerged from the Ascendancy over a decade ago. Status boards flicked to stand by as the final checks completed, and they looked plain at…well…nothing.
"Sensor readings?" Faro called out, only to get head shakes from the crew pit beside the command walkway. "Nothing on scopes, Admiral."
Thrawn was not far from the Commodore's station, looking out the starboard viewport with the same eyes Nerah had seen so many times. "That was to be expected," he said calmly. "This was the last reported attack's starting point, and our enemies are likely using hit and run tactics."
Hit and run? Nerah was extremely adept at guerilla warfare, but most of the time there were bodies left behind, since the sheer odds of her against her enemies never afforded her enough time to hide them. That was the whole point…and she couldn't imagine pirates could just pluck an entire freighter out of deep space and disappear.
"Where are the signs of battle?" Nerah furrowed her brow, standing not far from Thrawn. "I thought the freighters had combat escorts."
"Some of them," Thrawn corrected. "But not all, however."
Nerah blinked. Who the hell would send a freighter carrying cargo for a top-secret project without an escort? Maybe to avoid attention…by pirates flourished off these situations, and she'd boarded enough of their ships to know this for a fact.
"You are operating with your assumptions too narrow," Thrawn said, and it took a moment for Nerah to realize he was talking to her. "You must consider every avenue, not just the most obvious."
The chiss bowed her head, not surprised he had been able to read her through her expressions and body language. "Yes sir."
Almost on cue, the bridge turbolift slid open, and out strode a middle-aged man dressed in white, and a cape in tow. His demeanor struck Nerah as confident, sure of himself…with a hint of entitlement. It seemed Assistant Director Ronan had finished complaining about the accommodations Faro had assigned to him.
"Assistant Director Ronan," Thrawn greeted, facing him fully. "I trust you have settled in properly?"
"It will do," the man said, and Nerah tried her best not to stare while the two conversed, pacing to Faro's station. "Have we arrived already?"
"We have," Thrawn said. "It will take time to sweep the entire area."
Ronan frowned. "Sweep—Admiral, I've already given you all of Agent Gideon's findings in this sector. There was nothing."
"I find that my own analysis proves to be more trustworthy," Thrawn said. "However, there is something I must ask of you, in order to expedite the process."
Ronan seemed to pull in to himself, perhaps in a more guarded stance. "Ask of me? This is your problem, Thrawn, not mine."
Nerah felt her teeth slowly compress.
Thrawn seemed to ignore him regardless. "If you would so please, I would like the shipping manifest of the freighter, as well as a list of all the captains that have frequented this route to and from Stardust."
"It says on the report, Admiral. Parts for weapons and other materiel, as well as more workers. Did you not read it the first time?"
Her teeth compressed harder.
"I did," Thrawn replied calmly.
"Then what do you need the names of the captains for? You can't be possibly suggesting any of them are guilty of sedition. Each of them are vetted extensively."
"And the workers?" Thrawn asked.
"Of course they are!" Ronan glowered, his annoyance bleeding into his tone. "Who do you think runs this project, an imbecile?"
Sure feels like it.
Faro caught her attention while Thrawn and Ronan continued to argue, pointing to the sensor display beside the status board. The signal was…well…Nerah had no idea what it was, but Faro continued to eye its signature, studied it for a moment, seemed to ensure her observation was correct…
"Admiral," Faro called out, pulling his attention away from Ronan for a moment. "I have something. Looks like residual fuel or gas. Could be an escape vector."
An escape vector? How could she deduct that just by looking at it? It could just be drifting residue from a…
"…passing smuggler," Ronan's own comment finished hers, just as she returned to reality. "They're present in nearly all of the attacks."
"All of them?" Thrawn asked, probing confirmation.
"Yes, Thrawn, all of them!" he spat. "As well as any other point in space where a spacecraft has passed through!"
Faro's firm hand was grasping Nerah's upper arm before she even realized she had begun to turn around, and the woman's eyes implored her to restrain herself. She was right, of course, but that didn't mean she had to like it. Ronan was showing no respect to Thrawn, a Grand Admiral, one of the most powerful men in the Empire, and he deserved to be called out for it.
But she was only a Commander…and if Thrawn wasn't reacting to it…then she shouldn't either.
"Commodore, bring up the chemical makeup of the substance," Thrawn said, before turning back to Ronan. "Thank you for your assistance, Assistant Director."
"My—" Ronan paused, stunned for a moment in a manner that had Nerah smiling to herself as she remained turned away. "My assistance?"
"Indeed," Thrawn said, a hint of actual gratitude in his voice while Faro pulled up the readings, sifting through them while Nerah watched. "Commodore?"
"There are two irregularities," Faro reported. "One, the dispersal has high levels of nitrogen, which is extremely uncommon in Imperial thrusters and directional jets."
"It could have leaked from coolant systems," Ronan interjected. "Hardly a compelling point."
"Please allow her to finish," Thrawn asked, finally protesting the man's blatant carelessness. "And the second?"
Faro waited, seemingly double-checking the readouts, before continuing. "There are trace levels of gaseous Venisium, which isn't found in Imperial thrusters at all."
Nerah's eyes widened. "Venisium? That's the base compound the rebels had been hauling from the Tion Cluster. What could it be doing all the way out here?"
"And who are you supposed to be?" Ronan narrowed his eyes, obvious confusion laced into his tone. "I wasn't aware bodyguards were permitted to talk during an operation."
"Commander Nerah is far more than a simple bodyguard," Thrawn said, facing Ronan fully again. "She is in charge of the security of the Chimaera as a whole, and her expertise regarding infiltration tactics will prove quite useful as our investigation continues."
"Commander?" Ronan questioned, seemingly ignoring the second half of Thrawn's explanation. "Why isn't she in the crew pit where she belongs?"
"Because I wish her to be at my side, and I am the Chimaera's commanding officer," Thrawn replied, an edge working its way into his voice. "Any other objections?"
Ronan swallowed, his glare meeting Nerah's gaze for a moment. She didn't dare scowl his way, but she couldn't prevent the twitch in her upper lip as her infuriation continued to rise. It was obvious to her that the Assistant Director was only here to slow them down, to wind down the clock on their deal with Krennic and Project Stardust. She hoped Thrawn understood that, and she trusted that he did…but he definitely wasn't acting like it.
The reality was, Nerah could take biased contempt toward herself in stride. She'd dealt with it since she first arrived within the Empire, and still even now…but to see someone disrespect Thrawn…it struck a different cord. The Grand Admiral had given his life to the Empire, given up his own place with his own people to serve it, and deserved nothing but the highest levels of recognition for what he accomplished. Ronan didn't even seem interested in giving him a chance, and his continued interference with their work was too transparent for Nerah to continuously ignore unopposed.
Thrawn had been telling the truth…she was in charge of security aboard the Chimaera…and that included any personnel interfering with the efficiency of their work. In other words, she had authorization to throw any of those offenders in the brig at her own discretion, only to be overruled by either Faro or Thrawn himself.
The thought was nice, at least, but she knew that wasn't going to work this time around.
Finally, after Nerah maintained her neutral expression towards the man, he turned away. "It's your ship. You can run it the way you like."
"Excellent," Thrawn said, turning back to Faro. "You claimed earlier that you could decipher a vector of travel from the residue?"
"Yes sir," Faro nodded, seemingly utterly unphased as she inputted the data to her display, projecting the angle in which…in all honesty, Nerah didn't know exactly how it happened. "It appears the Venisium leaves a trail at this degree. As far as nearby systems go, there are about four within the next ten parsecs."
"Very good," Thrawn inclined his head. "Relay our findings to High Agent Gideon, and suggest he begin his search at the furthest system. You may take us to the first."
"Yes sir," she confirmed, and then turned to the rest of the bridge. "Bring us about thirty degrees and prepare for hyperspace!"
Nerah couldn't deny the tingling excitement as the Chimaera angled itself. She'd forgotten how much she'd missed watching Thrawn work, and imagined their work was only beginning.
Kom'rk-class Fighter – 2 BBY
The blue tunnel of hyperspace was a calming change of pace compared to the chaos of what occurred on Dathomir, and Nara was all for it. With her feet propped up on the control dash, she'd dozed off a few times before allowing her eyes to slowly open again to the same sight. This time, however, it was the opening of the cockpit door that forced her eyes open. She looked over her shoulder to see Bo Katan back in full armor, and the Darksaber hanging from her belt.
Nara scoffed. "You look like shit."
Bo rolled her eyes, settling into the co pilot's seat. "Not untrue."
The chiss turned while she set her helmet aside. "How's the head?"
Bo Katan lightly touched the area where her bandage used to be, and Nara watched her wince slightly. "Bruised, but nothing that can keep me out of a fight."
"I think it might be best we avoid a fight for at least a few days," Nara suggested. "Merrin did some magic stuff to you…but I don't know. I've seen head injuries really fuck people up without them realizing how bad it is."
"Believe me, I've had worse," she assured her, leaning back in her seat. "And unfortunately, now that Saxon knows I have the Darksaber, the Empire is going to come after us even more violently."
"So no spa day? Too bad," Nara faked a sigh. "All that dirt and red sun took a toll on my skin."
"Your skin will be the least of your worries if the Empire finds out where Clan Kryze has been hiding," she warned, but her tone suggested she knew she was kidding.
The chiss turned her glowing eyes toward the viewport, pulling her legs down. "So…I'm sure we can get Ordo and Vizsla to join us rather easily. Wren we could probably sweet talk."
"You're getting ahead of yourself," Bo Katan cut her off. "Rondir and Arrum followed beside me. With the Darksaber, that dynamic fades…makes me stand alone."
"Rondir won't care. He already follows you," Nara said. "Arrum…well…"
"If he decides to challenge me, you can't get in the way," she pointed, the ease in her voice fading. "You have to let it play out."
"I'm not letting you die," Nara assured her, slanting her brow. "Case closed. No argument. Besides, you'll beat that sorry bastard."
"Nara…"
"I said case closed."
Nara didn't care how intimidating Bo Katan tried to be. She had agreed to become a Mandalorian, but as a chiss, letting a member of your own family die was viewed as cowardly and dishonorable…and like it or not, Nara still maintained many of the codes of her own people. Some contradicted that of a Mandalorian, but she was fine with that. Choosing between her people by blood and people by creed would never come to pass…at least she hoped to the stars that it wouldn't.
"Just follow my lead," Bo Katan insisted. "There may be nothing to worry—"
In an instant, the hyperspace indicator turned blood red, and their fighter began to spiral as the stars turned rainbow and warped back into real space. Nara grasped ahold of her chair as they were thrown around, the laws of physics perpetuating their motion in the vacuum of space. Gritting her teeth, Nara reached for the stick and pulled in the opposite direction, stabilizing the ship as the mechanisms finally kicked in and brought them to a stop.
"What the hell? Is our navi-computer bugging out?" Bo Katan cursed, while Nara probed their surroundings, quickly activating sensors. She waited, using her keen eyes, until they got a ping in the far distance.
"There's a station here…but…no gravity wells…" Nara read off, and then felt her stomach twist itself. "No visible gravity wells."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
Nara cursed under her breath as she confirmed her suspicions, and then hissed one, terrifying word.
"Grysks."
If you have read Thrawn: Treason, then some of this should have been familiar to you. Don't worry, that was just a spring board to get this arc started, and from here on in, I will be utilizing characters and elements of that as a tool box as I put this together. It won't be what you're expecting.
Stay tuned and stay safe!
