CHAPTER 44
Crossed Hearts and Death Wishes
Lorrd – 2 BBY
Alhara's hand slipped from the wet rock as she reached up, barely able to hang on as she dangled for a moment, just before securing her footholds against the rock face.
"You okay?" Bo Katan called down from above, climbing at a faster pace.
Alhara grimaced, her fingers aching from the extra weight as she struggled to find a better hand hold. "Yeah! Just…slipped," she said, finding a much drier rock without white snow atop it. Heights had never bothered her much, but the idea of falling to her death made her body shake just a little more than she wanted. Dad had always told her that the faster she finished climbing, the faster she wouldn't have to worry about falling…but Bo Katan seemed to have the impression that that was pretty bad advice. In hindsight, she could see that it was, as speed with a wet rock face hardly did her any good.
And it was freezing up here; the zabrak half of her begging for more insulation from her crude armor.
"Try to follow me. The rocks are a little more secure this way," she guided, her voice still carrying over the blowing wind.
Alhara stifled a groan, but did as she was told, strafing her climb to the left to be directly beneath the woman instead of to her side. This exercise just felt like busy work, and not really learning anything. She could climb perfectly fine already, and she knew Bo Katan knew that.
So why were they doing this?
Her instinct was to ask, but then she remembered all the other times she had asked that question, and received the exact same answer. Bo Katan didn't do anything just for kicks, always finding ways to make whatever thing they were doing some kind of test or lesson. Tired of receiving those vague answers, she instead thought on it as she kept climbing. This one was unique because Bo was actually doing it with her, so maybe it was a lesson on teamwork? Following the leader? It couldn't be just climbing, that was for sure.
Maybe it was a hidden race…a test to not always trust that the person with you was your friend…but Bo wouldn't do that to her. No, couldn't be that. Test of resilience? Too obvious.
Was it a test at all?
It was also kind of dark…which was weird, and a little dangerous…but what wasn't dangerous about being a Mandalorian?
Alhara huffed. She couldn't figure it out.
"Why are we doing this?" she dared to ask.
She watched Bo Katan stop and look down, giving her a shrug. "No reason."
Alhara frowned, pulling herself up to the next hand hold Bo had just used. "What do you mean no reason?"
"Exactly what you think it means," she said, resuming her climb. "You should always…be training yourself…no matter how…tired…you are…or any other reason. Even if you think…you have everything down…one day, you might realize you hadn't trained enough to reach the last hand hold."
Alhara grimaced. So the lesson was to train herself in her strengths, even when she thought they were solid…but that was kind of an endless cycle, wasn't it?
"How do you know…when you're good?" Alhara asked, trying to keep up with her shorter legs and arms.
"You don't," Bo Katan said, reaching the top and pulling herself up. "Even I don't know about myself. Why do you think I'm out here with you, instead of waiting at the top?"
Alhara nodded. That did make sense.
"Because…it applies…to you too," Alhara answered, keeping her feet and hands steady as she slowly began to reach the top.
"Exactly."
She reached up for the last rock, only to feel it slip out from her grip. Alhara gasped, holding for dear life, only to feel her arm pulled back by a strong hand, resecuring her grip.
"You're alright, you're alright," Bo Katan eased, then pointed with her free hand. "Put your foot there, then push up."
Alhara grimaced, her arms beginning to ache with exhaustion, but bit down on her teeth as she stuck her leg out and pushed off, getting a full arm at the top. With Bo's help pulling her up, she breathed heavily on her hands and knees as she was finally once again on flat ground. Her breath was made visible in the cold air, but it felt good against her warm body, cooling her face as it pulsed with blood flow.
"Nice work," Bo Katan praised, taking a seat against the next rock face along the side of the mountain, watching her as she caught her breath. Alhara looked up with confusion.
"We're done?"
Bo Katan snorted. "Do you want to keep climbing?"
Alhara caught her meaning, and shook her head with a smile. "I think this is enough for now."
"That's what I figured," she looked up at the sky that was turning to night, the stars starting to become more visible. Alhara rose to her feet, feeling her bones stretch and muscles cramp as her body began to relax, taking a final, deep breath.
"Are we going to go back down, then?" she asked, wondering why Bo Katan had elected to take a break at such a strange area.
The woman shrugged, still looking up at the sky. "You can if you want. I'm going to stay here for a bit. You're welcome to join me."
Now she was really confused. Was this a trick? Some kind of test to see if she'd give in to her exhaustion and elect to take a break, only to have Bo Katan scold her about letting her guard down?
To her surprise…Bo just continued to sit there, gazing up at the stars, taking calming, almost meditative breaths.
Something wasn't right.
"When I was a little girl…about half your age," she began. "I lived in a palace on Mandalore. My family, House Kryze, had ruled since the beginning of the Mandalorian Civil War. I was born a while after that had started…yet I was raised by my sister for the most part. She was much older than I, and my parents by then weren't really interested in taking care of another child."
Alhara frowned, letting herself fall to her knees before her. "They…didn't want you?"
Bo Katan shrugged. "I don't know. Doesn't really matter. My sister was there…and they weren't. I remember we had this massive courtyard that Satine would always sit in, either reading or painting, and I would usually be running around on the grass, tumbling over…always pretending I was somewhere else…fighting."
Alhara felt herself smile a little. It was kinda cute, and made all the times she had done the same thing feel a little…less weird.
"I was a weirdo," she admitted. "But Satine would still take me out there and let me run around. She'd yell at me from trying to jump from place to place…and then clean me up after I fell…but that never stopped her from turning me loose the next day."
Her eyes seemed to turn distant, the smile on her face beginning to fade. "I always thought she never understood me…but when I look back, I think she was the only one who understood me. I just…wanted to be myself. I wanted to be something more than just another Princess in a domed city. It's just…the only way I could really do that was to…betray her."
Alhara swallowed. "When you left to join your mentor?"
Bo Katan nodded, the hurt visible in her gaze. "You remember what I told you about getting a second chance at everything?"
It took a moment, but Alhara recalled the conversation. "Yeah."
Bo Katan breathed. "I just want you to know that…I overheard your bitterness towards your mother."
Alhara's face fell.
"I understand how you feel…I really do…but you promised me you wouldn't let your family go. I might be your mentor and teacher, Alhara, and you might call me your buir…but I'm not your mother. I never really will be, no matter how much I…" she paused, shaking her head. "No matter how much you might think of it that way."
What was she talking about? Bo Katan had cared for her more in two years than her real mother had in six. To Alhara, Bo was more her mother than Trilla could ever be, and at this point, nothing could change that.
"Why can't you be?" Alhara leaned in, feeling herself choke up slightly as the longingness set in. "I've spent more time with you than I ever did with her…and all she did was look at me funny! She would always spend more time with my sister while my Dad was the only one who cared about training me."
"That doesn't mean she didn't love you, Alhara, don't you see that?" Bo Katan insisted. "She was probably just as confused as you, unsure how to react to the way you thought. I don't know if you've noticed this, but I'm an adult, and I'm not always right. I had no idea what I was getting in to when I took you in, and that's why I was more demanding at first, because I had no idea how to train a six-year-old girl how to be a Mandalorian. I didn't realize that I'd have to wait for you to grow, and would have to instead ease you into it. I've trained you the best I can, but…your mother was probably doing the same. That's probably why she let me take you in the first place…just caught in the middle of making sure you were happy while also making sure she was still taking care of you."
Alhara had never thought about it that way…was her mother trying her best? Did she just have no idea how to raise her properly, even after so much trial and error? But that only meant she had given up on her. How was that any better?
No…her mother deserved everything she had said…and Alhara crossed her arms in defiance. "Does it even matter?"
"Are you listening to me?" Bo Katan asked, a slight edge in her tone that snapped Alhara out of her pose. "I thought the same way you did now…thought my sister didn't love me because I was different. Do you know what happened next?"
Alhara bowed her head…now realizing what Bo Katan was getting at. "She died…and you never got to say goodbye."
She expected another scolding to push the point home, but Alhara knew it would be excessive. The truth had already been laid bare…and she'd known that she had made a mistake. Her mother had only tried her best, and it just hadn't been good enough. That was no reason to hate or despise her…
What have I done?
Now she just missed her…wanted so desperately to be in that loving embrace she remembered when she was a little girl. The one where a kiss would be placed on her forehead, or fingers would poke at her stomach and ribs, making them both laugh with endless, mutual joy. It was almost as if she'd forgotten that…and it filled her with nothing more than shame.
Bo Katan had already pulled her into her arms before the tears began to fall. She fell into her, trying to find that same warmth…same comfort…same love.
It wasn't there…but there was something else, something that made her understand why she had brought her here in the first place. Bo Katan would never be her mother. She would never be able to fill in the void that Alhara had dug out on her own accord…only Trilla could do that.
But that didn't mean Bo Katan couldn't be family.
In that, she felt a new warmth in the woman's arms, one that inspired her to be better…to improve upon herself, and even Bo Katan's own image. She would look up to her as a guide, as a guardian, but one she would strive to be better than, an image to compete with.
Because that was the lesson Bo Katan had brought her up here to learn. She wasn't her mother…she was her challenge…her quarry, and that was why she loved her…because only then would she be able to see through her eyes.
Second chance.
Alhara pulled into her breast tightly, feeling her tears begin to stop. "Thank you," she said, with no intention of letting her go.
Bo Katan nudged her head with her shoulder. "Look up at the sky."
She turned, and with the stars was the company of beautiful green streaks of light blazing across the night sky, illuminating the conjoined pair in its glow. Alhara only felt herself pull in more, resting her head gently against Bo Katan's armor. "Can we put off climbing down a little longer?"
Bo Katan chuckled. "My thoughts exactly."
Lambda-class Shuttle – 2 BBY
Thrawn's plan seemed simple enough. From what Nerah interpreted, they were supposed to arrive at the planet Fortuna, descend to the Imperial-controlled spaceport, and then search for their target ship that Eli had identified on the manifest. It was apparently by the name of Mahogany Vulpine…a strange name for a ship, to say the least, but her preferences hardly mattered. According to the pattern he had discerned from the data, it was the only ship to escape a recent attack from their mysterious assailants…assailants Nerah was confident she'd be able to prove were under the command of Reyna Vorchenko.
Pirates…extortionists…they weren't terrorists yet, but they were pretty damn close as far as Nerah was concerned. More than anything, however, she was more concerned about Eli. As far as she knew, his combat training was minimal, a far cry from what she was able to do, and while she wasn't worried about a frontal assault…it was what she couldn't see that frightened her. Part of her considered ordering him to remain on the ship…but she imagined Ronan would overrule her if she tried that. Even so…maybe she could try to convince him…
No. She could protect him if he needed it, and right now, they needed him close by to confirm their findings…but what if she missed something? One stray shot could…
No! I can do this.
"Everything alright, Commander?"
Eli's voice was comforting to hear, reminding her that he was in fact still here…still alive…with her. She just wanted to take one of her hands off the yoke and reach out, beckoning his fingers with hers, letting herself feel at last that touching sensation of another's skin…even if her gloves kept them apart.
She just smiled at him, and nodded. "Um-hm."
Eli smiled back, and she felt her heart race.
"Have you ever piloted before?"
Ronan, of course, couldn't resist ruining it.
Nerah cleared her throat, feeling that warmth fade. "Many times, Assistant Director. Sometimes Grand Admiral Thrawn asks me to join his TIE Defender squadrons in combat," she said, checking the navicomputer again.
Ronan snorted. "Is there anything Thrawn doesn't ask you to do?"
Nerah felt a smirk break her lips. "He doesn't ask me to cook his meals for him."
Eli chuckled at that, making her blue cheeks smear purple for a moment. "I'd imagine not after the last time you tried."
It took a moment for Nerah to recall what he was speaking of, but the memory of the grease fire she had created returned with a vividness that was almost frightening. She'd hoped no one would remember that disaster…but Eli hardly let her live it down then, and even less so now, as it seemed.
"To answer your question, Assistant Director, I am a shit cook," she admitted, a giggle resurfacing once she finished.
Ronan gave her a funny look. "How is this at all relevant to the task at hand?"
Nerah's first instinct was to growl back at Ronan, but her professionalism managed to retake the reins in time to stop her from making that terrible mistake. Not only would that make her seem even more childish in front of Eli…but Ronan was right, and these self-inflicted detours were only putting Thrawn and Ar'alani at greater risk.
Not to mention her sister, who…no matter how much Nerah pretended…she didn't want to see die, not before she heard her full story. Despite all she had done, she deserved that much.
None of that would matter if she couldn't keep her focus now.
"You're right, Assistant Director. Apologies," she said, returning her gaze to the hyperspace tunnel.
About ten minutes later, it collapsed, and hanging before them was the swampy marshland of Fortuna. Mentally, she could already envision the muck building up under her boots accompanied by the disgusting humidity her naturally cold-acclimated body was already beginning to dread. Why couldn't their enemies pick a nice spot to pull off their scheme?
As it turned out, Ronan was feeling the same way. "Swamp world. Disgusting."
"I hear you," Eli agreed. "We're heading to the Lombardi Spaceport. That's where we'll find our suspect ship."
Nerah pressed forward on the thrusters to begin their atmospheric entry. "The Mahogany Vulpine…rather odd name for a ship, don't you think?"
"I agree. If you're trying to be less conspicuous, maybe choose a more common name, unless your intention is to hide in plain sight," Eli noted.
"What, like reverse psychology?"
He shrugged. "Something like that. Don't you remember Nightswan? He did something similar."
Nightswan was the alias used for a once at-large trafficker and smuggler that Thrawn and Eli had thwarted together. Nerah had been involved somewhat, but her duties had pulled her away from the chase at different intervals, so some of the details were missing from her own personal experience. That, actually, had been the subject of her first real work with Eli…a simpler time she almost preferred to the now…stuck in her seat, unable to offload the raging emotions roiling within her chest.
Focus, Nerah. Focus!
She hoped, at least, Eli was dealing with the same thing…to which she was pretty sure he wasn't. His calmness was almost maddening, looking more concerned about something other than her…or could it be someone?
Who? Was it that twenty-year-old sky walker Vah'nya that he was worried about? Was she the reason Eli didn't seem nearly as happy to see her? Nerah's primary mandate was to protect and care for the sky walkers, no matter what the cost…but if she had taken Eli from her…
"Commander!" Ronan's voice rang out. "What is the matter with you?!"
Nerah's eyes widened as she realized her velocity was too fast for a smooth entry, and she quickly pulled back on the throttle to lessen the jostling that came with breaking through the planet's thermosphere.
"Nerah, if you want me to pilot, I can—"
"I'm fine, Vanto," she spat, angry with him…for no apparent reason…other than a hunch she had just conjured into existence. She turned to apologize, but he was already looking away, and she didn't want to hear Ronan scold her again for becoming distracted.
Maybe her initial thoughts were right. Maybe she would be better off leaving it be for now.
Maybe forever.
Admittedly, Ronan's opinion of Commander Nerah had improved slightly over the last day of the operation, but she'd just about destroyed all her progress in the last half hour. He was now utterly convinced that she had gained such a rank solely because she was another one of Thrawn's people, and not at all for any kind of merit. He'd never seen such an unprofessional display in his entire life, especially from someone of such stature.
Commander? Giggling around like a little girl?
What was this alien good for anyway? She didn't seem to be very bright, or at all aware of basic Imperial standard procedure. Ronan had thought Thrawn only surrounded himself with the best and nothing less…but he couldn't decipher any significant use for her. Maybe she was just a family member, or some kind of secret lover the Grand Admiral kept around for his morale. He didn't care for scandals much at all, but still, the thought disgusted him. She also seemed to be overly impressed with Vanto any time he did anything, which made Ronan cringe violently every time he was forced to witness it.
Thrawn was up to something. He never did anything without an angle, as it seemed, and Ronan had the sneaking suspicion that Nerah was pretending to be something else. Was she ISB? Perhaps undercover, supporting Thrawn? He found it unlikely, but it seemed the most Thrawn-like scenario he could come up with…making his opponents let their guard down before the woman revealed who she really was.
He'd heard rumors that she was the most frightening weapon the Empire had to offer other than Lord Vader, but that was becoming harder and harder to believe by the moment. The woman was just too…soft. Again, maybe that was the point, but he didn't think so.
Ronan didn't know what to think…but what he did suspect was that Thrawn had an operation going on within the ranks of his blue-skinned people…and it had something to do with that force-sensitive girl he'd spotted just before he'd left. He never forgot how he watched her react to the man's fall before it had happened…and the cold stare her female guardian gave him just before she looked away.
How could he have defied the Emperor? The Jedi were gone, eradicated and outlawed from the galaxy, and Ronan was convinced that Thrawn was well aware of that. What he didn't know…was if the Emperor knew perfectly well what was going on, and had instructed Thrawn to play along, perhaps in hopes of destroying the last remnants of the Jedi within the ranks of the chiss people…
He had proof for neither, and likely, never would. Better to focus on the current task at hand; exposing the traitor that was funneling cargo from Stardust for their own means.
Lombardi Spaceport was about as poorly maintained as Ronan had expected, and that was evident as soon as their shuttle touched down on one of the measly three landing pads…feeling the unsecured metal shift with the added weight. It was unsettling to say the least, but it only gave Thrawn's theory for this whole operation more merit. A place like this wouldn't have strong vetting and security, but its obscurity could potentially make such a thing needless, which Ronan imagined would be why Krennic would choose it. It would be towards the bottom of priorities, of course, handling mostly meager supplies like foodstuffs and items for the refresher.
A perfect place for a front.
As planned, Ronan took the lead to greet the supervisor…who was flanked by two dirty-armored stormtroopers armed with what looked to be heavily modified and worn-down E-11 blaster rifles. Just how run down was this place?
"Greetings, my fine Imperial sir," the supervisor said, earning a confused frown from Ronan. The human certainly wore all the garments of an Imperial officer, but his accent was more in line with Eli Vanto's…placing his origins squarely in the far reaches of wild space. "What brings you to this here humble spaceport?"
"You will address me as Assistant Director," Ronan corrected, making sure to put a touch of scold in his voice to drive the point home. "We are here for an inspection of a spacecraft stationed at this spaceport."
The man blinked, and then offered him a flamboyant smile. "Don't know what you're referring to, mister…uh…Assistant Director. We have no inspection scheduled…eh, you know how it is in these parts. Is there something specific you were lookin' for?"
Ronan scowled. "What is your name, officer?"
He cleared his throat. "Lieutenant Aldo Tiderius Rain, sir," Rain saluted…certainly lacking much in eloquence.
"I see. And how long have you been stationed here?"
Rain looked up towards the sky in wonder, before looking back. "Bout…uh…I'd say three 'er four months, mister sir."
Mister sir?
Ronan suppressed a hiss in annoyance, feeling Eli shift to his right slightly. "Very well. Lead us in. We would like to examine your databases."
Rain clicked a salute. "As you say sir! You two boys and your fine lady friend can follow me. We can get you set up."
Everything about this man annoyed him…whether it be his crude accent or absolutely unacceptable manner of speech, Lieutenant Rain was about to face the full might of Imperial procedure if Ronan found any discrepancy that happened under his watch.
Fine lady friend? He didn't actually think an alien could be worthy of such…praise?
Ronan swore to himself…perhaps Director Krennic had some cleaning to do within the Stardust supply chain.
"Something's not right here," Eli whispered, and Ronan spotted him looking towards the edge of the landing pad. "This is irregular, even for a middle of nowhere port like this…"
Nerah didn't seem to have anything to say…perhaps too flattered by such attention from a human to have any words. Truthfully, how useless was this woman?
"Just follow my lead. I know what I'm doing," Ronan assured him. "Once we're inside, you'll be sifting through their data, while the Commander does…something."
Eli seemed to take objection to something he said, but whatever it was, he kept it to himself.
"Understood, sir."
At least the wild space scum turncoat knew his place.
Within 30 minutes, Lieutenant Rain had Eli set up in the main computer per Ronan's orders, given full access to search through the entire database for any clues. Unfortunately, and much to Eli's frustration, this task was just another repetition, and had no real meaning behind it. He had the sneaking suspicion that this was just some form of busy work, and with Ronan's unexplained retreat to the hangar bay, he wouldn't put it past the man to try something underhanded.
Thrawn had instructed them to let him proceed with his betrayal…but Eli was finding following that order in reality to be far more difficult.
At least Nerah was here to watch his back…rather closely, he might add.
"Have you…found anything?" she asked, smiling at him as she stood with her rifle held across her chest. "Is there anything I can help you with? Maybe get you something…?"
Eli looked back at the ragged computer setup, pulling his finger off the sticky, greasy keys with slight revulsion. He was sweating a bit in the humid reception room, whatever climate control systems existed being nonfunctional…and a towel certainly could remedy that…
No. He couldn't reduce Nerah to that mundane task, not a woman of her skill, stature and…quality.
Quality? What was she, livestock?
Eli grimaced to himself. "I'm alright, Nerah. Thank you," he said, returning to his task. He saw her frown in the reflection of the unpowered monitor beside him, making him wonder what he had said wrong. Seeing her again had been something that filled him with much joy, but as he continued to watch her…he was beginning to think she was experiencing some kind of emotional crisis every time the two were in the same room together. She'd tried to shout down Ar'alani, shivered constantly when she was sitting beside him on the Chimaera, giggled like a little girl aboard the shuttle, and now couldn't stop asking him if she could do anything for him.
When he had met her, Nerah's Basic was decent, but not entirely perfect and it had made her seem more shy than she actually was. The woman was an absolute pleasure to be around, which was a nice contrast to Thrawn's more calculated and icy approach to interaction. Eli had always known how she was feeling, and when she was upset, she never let it bleed onto the people around her…always trying to keep everything positive…always smiling.
Was she always smiling? Or…was she only always smiling at him?
He bit his lip in slight regret, and then turned to her. "You watching my back is all I need," he said…wincing a little after he said it. That was a little more melodramatic than he intended, but the intended effect was achieved.
Nerah smiled, her cheeks flaring purple against her blue skin. "I would never let anyone hurt you, Eli," she promised.
Eli had only seen her in action a few times, but he was glad to hear her say that. "Thanks Nerah, I appreciate that."
"And I appreciate you," she stepped forward abruptly, but then seemed to have a double take, cringing to herself. "I-I mean…I don't mind watching—protecting you," she amended, off balance. "Ugh…I'm sorry," she apologized, letting her head bow as she pulled strands of black hair back behind her ears.
Eli sighed, turning in his chair…for now not really caring about Ronan's little busy work scheme. "Nerah…you've been acting strange since we met on the waystation. Is there something going on?"
Nerah's eyes flashed open in alarm, their glow intensifying slightly. "N-No! I'm fine…it's just that…I…" she stammered, the violet in her cheeks returning. "Y-You know. I just—"
"Nerah," Eli eased, grasping her elbow, which happened to be her closest body part to him. "Take a deep breath. It's okay. You can talk to me."
She followed his instructions, but the panic in her demeanor didn't seem to be fading away. "I…I wish I could just…talk to you, but…" her face turned sad for a moment, before she suddenly snapped rigid again. "It's nothing, Lieutenant Vanto. We should focus on our mission."
Now he knew something was up. Nerah never called him by his last name, especially when they were alone.
"Nerah…" he prodded, but kept his tone as even as possible.
The chiss tried to keep her stance fixed, but after a few more seconds, it fell again, resulting in a long sigh. "I'm sorry. I…I guess I was just happy to see you, a-and…you don't seem overly happy to see me."
Eli frowned.
"I-It's okay though!" she quickly assured him. "I know we have work to do, a-and Ar'alani doesn't have much patience for leisure, so you may not be able to afford a moment to pull me away and speak to me, but maybe I was just not looking hard enough and I'm just stupid and selfish and I should've been paying more attention, but I don't because Thrawn is always pestering me about his bullshit with art the Empire the grysks and Ar'alani, Ar'alani, Ar'alani and my FUCKING SISTER!"
Nerah's expression suddenly turned vile as she turned towards the rusted wall and plowed her gloved fist straight through it in a screech of metal and cascading dust. The hole reverberated for a moment until it finally settled…and the woman's eyes curled upwards in embarrassment. Her rifle hit the ground as she dropped it, her hands wiping her face as she trembled. "I'm sorry…" she apologized. "I-I can't even control myself anymore. Ronan is right…I'm not good for anything other than standing around looking like some repurposed alien whore with a blaster just for show."
"Hey, hey!" Eli called out, rising to his feet and pulling at her forearms…only to realize that his meager strength could never hope to pull her limbs without her approval. "Nerah, you know that's not true."
"It is!" she pulled her arms down, her eyes blazing with emotion. "All I've done since we left Lothal is act like I'm back in academy, getting myself into trouble with my stupidity, slow hands and absolutely infuriatingly perfect twin sister."
Eli sighed. "Nerah, look…I don't know what happened between you and your sister—"
"Don't say I'm wrong," she pulled the words from his mouth. "That isn't true."
"Sure it is," Eli pressed. "Ever since I met you, you've always been so hard on yourself, whether it was with your fluency with Basic, or combat training. You always expect yourself to be perfect…but no one is perfect," he said…knowing his approach was cliché, but decided to keep up the pressure. "You can do things I could never hope to do. You can pilot starfighters, leap between two buildings, take on an entire army by yourself…not just anyone can do that."
Nerah frowned, stepping away slightly. "You're just saying that to make me feel better."
Eli stammered. "Nerah…come on. That's not fair."
Her eyes panned downwards as her arms crossed. This was a side of her he'd never seen before, never quite this open about her emotions and internal struggles. In fact, the more he thought about it…he didn't really know anything about her personal life outside the Chimaera…which only meant he had no niches to work from and attack.
What did he know about her? He knew she was kind, had a good heart…a little jittery on occasion, yet sure of herself. She also seemed to have a lot of pride…something she'd definitely pulled from Thrawn, so maybe that's what this all was…a matter of lost confidence?
She was looking at him again, seemingly waiting for him to speak…her eyes now soft and apologetic, her lips twitching as she pulled up one arm to pull her bangs back behind her ears. When he didn't have any words for her, she looked away, her nose crinkling into a sniff.
"We should just…focus on our mission," she said, reaching for her rifle. "That might be better—"
A madness gripped his heart as he gripped her arm, trying to pull at her strong form to insist she surrender to his request. To his surprise…she did stop, looking back to him with her warm gaze.
"I am happy to see you again, Nerah," he promised her. "And all I've wanted to do was get a chance to speak to you…but with everything going on…" he trailed off, unsure what else to say.
"Eli…" she reached out, softly wrapping the hand around her arm into her own. When he saw her again…she immediately looked much happier than before. The strength of her grip was firm…and yet it felt tender against his bones, her chiseled fingers working themselves between his own. She smiled at him.
It was a…beautiful sight.
Her free hand reached out to brush at his hair, ruffling the brown mess before flattening it with calm strokes…and her fingers traced down the side of his cheek. His heart began to race with the delicate touch, feeling the air from his nose rush out with more intensity.
"Nerah…" he whispered; confusion layered beneath his voice.
Quickly, she pulled away, the alarm present in her expression as her fingers freed themselves from his own. "Sorry," she apologized, bending over to scoop up her rifle. "L-let's just…check on Ronan," she offered, turning towards the hangar bay.
Eli brushed his hand against the cheek she had touched…and realized the excitement he had felt was not a normal occurrence. Nerah's touch had been so gentle…so calming…he wanted her to do it again.
He shook his head. Ronan was probably halfway across the galaxy at this rate…best to make sure he hadn't left them for dead.
Chimaera – 2 BBY
When the Chimaera's viewport ceased to display the blue tunnel of hyperspace any longer, Nara had to catch Vah'nya before the woman's body hit the grated floor of the crew pit. Ar'alani had moved to perform the same action, but remained back while Nara lifted her from the chair and cradled her in her strong arms, setting her back gently against the side wall.
"Is this normal?" she whispered in Cheunh, but the Admiral gestured for her to keep quiet.
"Sensors, Commodore," Thrawn called across the empty bridge in Basic, situated at the front of the bridge, his eyes pacing the space before them. The human, Faro, finally pulled her surreptitious gaze away from them and manned the sensor station, initiating the preliminary functions.
Nara remained knelt beside Vah'nya, brushing her hair out of her eyes and gently setting her neck into a proper resting position. It had been a few hours of travel with the navigator lost in her trance…but Nara had never seen one completely lose consciousness before. What was it about this trip that taxed Vah'nya so greatly? Was it something she couldn't see…or had the grysks discovered a way to neutralize chiss sky walkers?
To her relief, Vah'nya opened her eyes once Nara's touch concluded, the lids only half open as she tried to move, only to fall limp again.
"Shhhh, rest, Vah'nya. Just rest," Nara eased. "You're safe."
The girl mumbled, struggling to open her eyes again. "Did we…did we make it…?"
Nara looked up to Ar'alani for an answer, but once again received no help, the Admiral's attention fixed squarely on Faro while the Imperial ran through the scan.
"Complete, Grand Admiral," Faro reported, and Nara turned away with feigned lack of understanding.
"In Sy Bisti, if you please," Thrawn said, and Nara braced herself to translate probably her rustiest of languages. Nara had been trained back at academy to understand most of the major trade languages within the Chaos. She only accurately managed to learn about two, Sy Bisti being by far her best, albeit seldomly used. It had got her by in her early days among the wider galaxy, but once she had Basic down enough to get by, she had virtually abandoned it altogether.
As Faro began to speak, it was obvious she wouldn't be alone in this regard.
"Light, white…small," Faro grimaced, catching herself. "Neutron star…pulsar. Four planets, mostly gaseous. Rotation speed…full spin every seven seconds."
Nara wrinkled her nose, trying her best to remember her physics classes from when she was a child. Pulsars were mostly neutron stars that spun at incredibly high speeds, whilst also ejecting copious amounts of radiation in the form of streams erupting from each pole. Most were tipped off their axis, and thus had a flashing effect from distance, appearing like a lighthouse in the night sky. Nara had no idea how this could affect their approach against the grysks…but she imagined the intense radiation could pose some communication interference.
"Interesting," Thrawn mused. "Any other structures?"
"Scanning now," Faro reported, and waited a few seconds. "And…got it. Innermost planet has an alien structure in orbit…but that's all we're reading. We might need to get a closer look."
"Agreed," Thrawn said, and then paced to the edge of the command walkway. "I can offer my personal office for Vah'nya to recover while I restaff the bridge."
"That will do for now," Ar'alani tipped her head, and then turned back to Nara. "Can she walk?"
Nara checked on her again, but the girl still couldn't open her eyes, so she shook her head. "I can carry her."
Ar'alani's expression turned anxious, but quickly flashed back into balance and a hint of gratitude. "Please do."
Faro felt much more at ease once the bridge was filled with personnel once again. It had already been a struggle just to get Thrawn to allow her to remain while the chiss girl Vah'nya guided the Chimaera to their target system. She didn't quite understand what all the fuss was about, but she could only guess it had something to do with alien politics she would never be fully aware of. The chiss certainly seemed to be an insular, secretive people, one that would rather remain within its borders than expand its influence…a standpoint directly contrary to that of the Empire. It didn't bother her, and despite Ar'alani's sternness towards everyone around her, she wasn't really worth much suspicion.
It was the other that caught Faro's eye. She'd seen those small, rectangular red tattoos before, and while the Commodore had done her best to keep in mind that all chiss didn't look alike…she couldn't help but think that the only other chiss she had ever seen before now was walking within the hulls of the Chimaera.
The Mandalorian calling herself Nara.
She'd first suspected as much when Nerah seemed to be much more off balance than usual, adopting a hidden anger in her expression as she left them for the final time before embarking on her assignment. The two of them had had conversations over lunch since she had joined the crew, and the truth about her sister had been hinted over the course of those talks.
Thrawn had to know what was going on, otherwise he would've done something about it by now. One of his own people couldn't just hide in plain sight…and it was the only reason she hadn't said anything. This had to be part of his plan, maybe to defeat the grysks or to placate Ar'alani…or maybe she really was here to protect the girl, Vah'nya. Whatever it was, if anyone else found out, Thrawn could be facing charges of treason. To the best of her knowledge, however, the only people who knew the Mandalorian's true face were herself and Thrawn…which could be the angle the Grand Admiral was playing at.
But why would he keep her out of it? Did he not trust her to keep a secret?
Or maybe…maybe he was shielding her from his risk…but he didn't need to do that. If the grysks were as dangerous as Thrawn made them seem, she wouldn't mind going along with his little plot, just as long as the Empire wasn't put at risk to be taken advantage of…and she would keep an eye on their little guest.
"Your thoughts, Commodore?" Thrawn asked, just as she finished a once-over on her status boards.
Faro kept herself steady, ignoring the lingering doubts for now. "I think we caught them by surprise, judging by their inaction thus far. I don't think they expected us to be able to track them down."
"Correct," Thrawn said. "Why would they be surprised?"
She paused…doing her best to recall the plethora of events that had passed in such a short time. "When the Chimaera arrived on the scene of the waystation, that was their second attack, right?"
Thrawn nodded.
"So whatever they were trying to do initially must have failed, and they had to improvise…the information they were hiding couldn't fall into the wrong hands…our hands."
"Partially," he corrected. "You do not have all the details to make the proper conjectures yet, and while we wait for more data, and our enemies to make the first move, I shall endeavor to fill in your blind spots."
Faro frowned. In the middle of combat? Not exactly orthodox or safe…but she trusted him.
"The grysk waystation isn't of grysk make at all," Thrawn revealed. "It was stolen, repurposed, and subsequently used as a listening post to spy on the Empire. Whatever aliens inhabited the station were also repurposed into willing clients, as to maintain a veil of secrecy. Do you know why the grysks destroy themselves before they are defeated?"
She thought on it for a moment…and gave her best guess. "Based on the fact that they use client species, cloaking devices and gravity well generators…my guess is they operate as somewhat of a shadow council. Should that council be discovered, the shadow is illuminated, hence the destruction."
"Very good, Commodore," he praised, giving her a sense of hidden pride. "The Grysks do not wish to reveal themselves to the Empire just yet, and subsequently do not wish for us to be aware that they are watching and studying us. They utilize the fear of other species to subvert either governments or entire populaces to their will, and have already done so at the edges of the Ascendancy."
Faro felt her chest go ice cold. If the grysks were already targeting the Empire…how far had they subverted their populace? How much of the Empire was already unwitting servants of this shadowy enemy, one Faro had no knowledge of until now?
An enemy that had Thrawn's full and undivided attention, even in the face of committing high treason against the Galactic Empire. With stakes such as this…it had to be serious, no pipe dream tale, no overreaction.
"How long have your people been at war with them?" she dared to ask.
Thrawn's expression turned…weary? She couldn't quite tell. "Over a decade now, it seems, but mostly collections of their client species. We still do not know much about their tendencies and tactics…but fear not. This operation had proved quite fruitful in that regard."
That brought an ounce of relief to her…but not much. "So, the Steadfast was out here trying to learn more about the grysks, perhaps tailing one of their vessels, and we happened to stumble upon a section of Stardust's corruption that had been taken advantage of by the grysks."
"Yes," Thrawn said. "But why? Why here? How have the grysks been able to decipher the corruption we have discovered?"
There was a missing component to this mystery…one she had overlooked, and yet remained visible in the corner of her mind. She recalled the chemical makeup…the nitrogen, then the…Venisium. Why would the grysks want that? All it was used for was combat stims, and even then there were better and cheaper options. The substance had been retired for its obsoleteness towards modern chemistry, all except for the alien super solider Banshee.
"The rebels," she almost exclaimed. "The network we've been trying to tap into via the comm scrambler we found! The grysks have found a way to piggyback off it!"
Thrawn's lip curled into a smile. "That is the most logical conclusion…which makes it all the more imperative we do not allow the grysks to destroy themselves this time around."
Faro couldn't believe it. If this were true, then they could find Admiral Vorchenko within days instead of the weeks or months the analysis team had projected to crack the scrambler. If they beat the grysks here, the Empire could strike a major blow against the rebel forces, perhaps even cripple them for the foreseeable future. This could be it.
Her rejuvenation was unmistakable…and her doubts long gone. "So the grysks do not want us to discover that they have access to Fulcrum's network."
Thrawn nodded. "The destruction of the waystation and any chance of us following their forces would have ensured such an event…but with their failure, and our arrival, they must now face the reality that the Empire is aware of their operations…but there is uncertainty within their movements. Why?"
"Because the ship that escaped the Steadfast is here now, letting then grysks know that they were unable to destroy the waystation?"
Thrawn shook his head. "Not quite. There is one, final point you are not yet aware of. The reason Vah'nya was able to lead the Chimaera to this system is because the Steadfast rescued a seven-year-old chiss navigator who had been taken captive by the grysk forces. Her rescuers managed to kill one grysk soldier…a real grysk soldier."
"So…the soldier was there to ensure the girl did not escape? Perhaps was waiting for the escort that had come, but we intercepted it?"
"Indeed," Thrawn said. "So now tell me…why do they have uncertainty?"
Faro stroked her chin…but smiled as the answer came to her. "Like how they destroy their ships…his orders were to return the navigator to a warship…" she then winced. "Or silence her forever…and the grysks don't know if the ladder was able to occur. That means, they'll never run from this confrontation, lest they live with the knowledge that the Empire may have utterly uprooted their entire plan."
"Very good," Thrawn praised, just as Hammerly reported from her crew deck station.
"Movement, Admiral!" she called out, prompting Ar'alani to pace back over to Thrawn with a look of needed confirmation. "Warships angling towards our vector!"
Faro took a breath while Thrawn translated for his chiss counterpart. This was it…the culmination of all the cloak and dagger, hit and run. Now the rats had nowhere else to hide.
"Orders, sir?" Faro asked once Thrawn was finished.
"Now, Commodore," Thrawn began. "We play our hand."
Just moved into a new place, so there was a little bit of a wait on this one, but it's a little longer! Next one is the tasty action, so stay tuned!