Special thanks to FossilQueen1984 for being my beta reader and editor for this chapter
She looked to Kallus and then back towards the airlock. Kallus followed her view.
In the air lock swas Zeb. Kallus started to smile and ran up to him. Zeb caught him and hugged him.
Hera smiled happily at them. Thrawn, who observed the whole situation, just raised his left eyebrow. Hera saw it.
"Is this also something you agree with within the Empire?", she asked him.
"What exactly?", he asked.
"No alien-human relationships? And what about that unspoken rule of no same-seax relationships?"
"No. That unspoken rule is just a silly rumor, that we can't get rid off. But I do not agree with the empire on alien-human relationships. I do not know where that rule came from, but I do not know any person who keeps themselves on it", he said flatly.
"So, why are you raising an eyebrow then?"
"Because love is one of the reasons for betrayal"
Kallus and Zeb just stopped hugging and both looked to Hera.
"I can handle him. You two just go off and talk. But before you go, where are the rest?" Hera asked.
Zeb put an arm around Kallus and said: "Sabine took Chopper and Ezra off to wander around. So they", he looked at Thrawn," Wouldn't meet him. And Kannan is waiting for you onboard the Ghost"
"Thank you", Hera said and both men left. She looked down to Thrawn.
"Where are your guards? I guess you won't handle me alone", he said.
"This is a med ship. There aren't as many guards as you would think. And I will handle you alone, because if anything happens to me or any other person on this ship or of my crew, Kasari won't survive. And like you, I stand by my word", she said and stared him dead in the eye.
"I understand. I will not do something that would compromise Kasari's life" Thrawn said.
Hera loosened his handcuff, which was fastened on a seat. He stood up and held his hands behind his back. Hera cuffed his hands together and moved him off the ship.
They walked through nearly empty hallways until they reached a guarded door. As the guards saw Hera they saluted and opened the door. They went through.
It was a big, sterile room. There was a bed and behind a big bacta tank. In the bacta tank was Kasari unconscious, floating. Thrawn swallowed. Then he looked to Hera.
"You have two options now. Either I'm gonna leave you cuffed here or you give me a bit more information and I will trade your cuffs against an electronic tag. You won't be able to leave the room but you can still refresh yourself, eat or read-"
"I understood. The smuggling route you are using is also used by some Hutts, who are going to sell the correct coordinates to the Empire tomorrow on a bar named Uzz's Cantina on Nal Hutta. It's in the third district. Is that enough for now?", he asked.
"Yes", Hera said. Then she kneeled down and cuffed Thrawn's left leg with the electronic tag. He turned around and she uncuffed his hands. She walked towards the door. "Don't do anything stupid", she said and then left.
Thrawn walked up to the bacta tank and laid his hands and head on it.
"Please Kasari, please survive. I..i love you."