Chapter 3: A Cold Embrace

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Summary: What has Anakin Skywalker fallen to become?

**This chapter contains descriptions of violent confrontation**

"Now be brave and don't look back. Don't look back." —Shmi Skywalker

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Once certain levels have been reached, there is no need to prove leadership or competence. A person with such power is accustomed to having every word carefully considered, and every whim treated as an order.

And all who recognize that power know to bow to it.

A few have the courage or foolishness to resist.

Some succeed in standing firm against the storm. More often, they find their paths yet again turned from their hoped-for goal.

But such a turn does not always mean that the victim has lost.

Or that the victor has won.

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Thrawn entered his office, followed closely by Lord Vader and Commander Kimmund. He saw the tablet Faro delivered placed on his desk and continued his pace toward it. It was quiet.

The office door hissed shut behind them.

Lord Vader immediately unleashed a Force-push with his left hand and threw a cloaked Rukh against the wall. The cloak fizzled away, the creature fell limp to the ground, and his electro staff clanged onto the metallic floor.

Vader in the same motion turned to Thrawn. Thrawn faced him. His eyes wide but projecting strength and defiance. Vader curled his fingers and focused on Thrawn's neck. Thrawn recoiled as he had on the bridge, though less guarded this time as the Force behind the move was not subtle. He stepped back, grabbed the back of a chair for support and braced against a violent, invisible storm.

The walls of the office reverberated and clicked as the Force powered through the air. Thrawn took in a fierce breath, relying on instinct. He still resisted the Dark Lord.

Lord Vader furiously moved forward with rage and grabbed Thrawn's neck with his gloved hand. Thrawn clutched the Dark Lord's hand, as Vader shoved the Grand Admiral with his momentum against a large wall of art that had Phoenix Squadron's emblem and a lothcat emblazoned on its surface.

Thrawn immediately struggled to get free, but Vader pushed him back, relentless, unmoving. Vader's mask was hauntingly expressionless against the deep malice that Thrawn could feel.

Thrawn kept one hand clasped to Vader's wrist while his other braced against the wall behind him. Thrawn struggled to breathe, only able to take shallow gasps. He shut his eyes, trying to calm himself.

"You may resist the Force, Mitth'raw'nuruodo," Vader growled, pronouncing Thrawn's full name improperly just as The Jedi had done many years before. Thrawn opened his crimson eyes at this, a mix of defiance and pain. "But you cannot resist me."

Thrawn's eyes flicked to the limp form of Rukh for a moment and back to the dark mask of Lord Vader.

"Your pet cannot save you," Vader said.

Thrawn found it harder and harder to breathe as Vader's grip slowly tightened around his neck. His eyes widened. He felt a tearing sensation suddenly, and a spike of pain shot from his throat. Thrawn brought his other hand up in panic, trying to loosen Vader's grip. Such malice. And to think that he was once Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight, a man whose legacy Thrawn still admired. And Padmé Amidala, his wife… Thrawn felt a pang of guilt and anger. What did Anakin fall to become?

Thrawn's foggy mind thought of his blaster at his hip, but Vader suddenly unhooked and ignited his lightsaber with his right hand to the side. The swift movement was jarring to Thrawn, but Vader's grip loosened a bit. A red glow now shimmered throughout the office.

Thrawn took in shaky breaths. He tried to move again but Vader countered and pressed back against the wall of art, dazing him this time. Thrawn opened his mouth to speak but he couldn't get enough air. A pained whimper sounded instead as he struggled. No this can't be where it all ends. So much sacrificed... He tried to adjust his grip on Vader's wrist, but he felt himself growing weak.

Vader watched Thrawn's eyes losing their red vibrancy.

"Commander Kimmund," Vader said. "Remove and secure his blaster."

Commander Kimmund was in awe at the unexpected display in front of him. Thrawn was somehow able to resist the same power he witnessed his Dark Lord use so many times to crush into submission, and sometimes extinguish, unruly and incompetent Imperial leaders. He was grateful that his helmet hid his face, as it would betray his conflict and fear at this being done to Grand Admiral Thrawn.

Kimmund knew Thrawn to be a strong leader with wisdom surpassing perhaps all Imperial leaders, save for the Emperor and Vader. Not only was Thrawn wise, though. Kimmund had experienced the result of his leadership during their mission to the Unknown Region and found Thrawn to be a fair leader worthy of his ship's loyalty and respect. Kimmund had held the hope that the Grand Admiral's leadership style would eventually expand to the other ranks and commands of the Empire.

However, Kimmund was witnessing that hope being squashed before his eyes.

Kimmund had no choice but to follow orders. He stepped forward and took Thrawn's blaster from the holster at his side. Thrawn kept what was left of his defiant focus on Vader though, never straying from his helmet. Kimmund flinched at being so close to Vader while he was in his dark ire. He secured the blaster and stepped back to his place near the door, weary at watching Thrawn struggle alone.

Thrawn's hearing started to ring and fade. His eyes fluttered as he began to lose the fight against falling unconscious… or worse. He shifted his feet underneath him and patted feebly with his left hand at Vader's grip. Thrawn was growing weak. He let his left hand fall limp against the wall of art behind him, losing his strength.

There was nothing Thrawn could do; Vader was too powerful. Thrawn's sight began to darken; he lost his ability to focus. His shaky gasps for air became more sluggish than those of Vader's respirator. His body began to betray him.

Thrawn's right hand squeezed feebly at Vader's wrist one last time, trying not to let it fall too.

He thought of his people. He began to let go.

Double vision: bolts coming at chest, at helmet, at chest –

Vader quickly looked to his left as a door opened and three Imperial Sentry Droids emerged from a training room in Thrawn's suite.

Vader released Thrawn, outstretched his left hand and Force-pushed one droid back through the opening. Thrawn dropped limply to the metal ground on his left side with a loud thud, and Vader deflected blaster bolts with his lightsaber.

Thrawn tried to focus as he gasped for precious air. He sluggishly moved his right hand to his throat. It felt wrong; he still couldn't take full breaths. He coughed violently and rolled over more almost into a fetal position, but he was too weak to fully do so. His legs and left arm would hardly respond. His whole chest heaved with each breath, desperate for oxygen. He struggled for air and coughed up saliva mixed with blood.

Kimmund immediately took cover behind a corner and returned fire at the battle droids. He was amazed as their armor plating seemed to dissipate and absorb his blasts. He keyed his comm. "Tephan! Thrawn's office, now! Under attack by sentry droids!"

Out of the corner of Kimmund's eye, he saw the Noghri bodyguard stirring across the room, but Kimmund was pinned down by blaster fire to do anything.

Rukh, on his side, reached for his electro staff. The Noghri was positive a few bones were broken, but that didn't matter. He came back to consciousness as his master's lifeforce was being squandered by Lord Vader. No, broken bones didn't matter. He had pressed the activation codes on his transmitter to unleash the sentry droids. A satisfied and pained smile now graced his face.

Then Rukh saw Thrawn trembling and struggling across the room from him on the floor. He lost his delight immediately. He winced as he moved to get up and rolled his staff closer. He balanced on his knees and watched as Vader's lightsaber suddenly shut off as the Dark Lord attempted to slice one of the sentry droids in half.

Vader was appalled. No, it could not be. Cortosis? How could Thrawn have droids that were made of cortosis? The mine and the factory were destroyed on Mokivj during the Clone War. The Jedi was sure of their destruction. Vader quickly reacted with the Force to divert the three sentry droids' attacks. Vader had to remember how The Jedi fought them.

Vader had a conversation flash to his memory.

"Do you expect me to believe that a tactician of your skill has not yet thought of a way to kill me?" Vader said.

Thrawn smiled faintly. "I have, in fact, thought of three ways."

Rukh saw his opportunity for a flank attack. He moved to get up.

"Nah," Thrawn wheezed. He whimpered as he grabbed more at his throat, stopping Rukh's advance. Thrawn still lay on the ground, taking unstable breaths but alive. Blaster fire and Vader's rage filled the office. Thrawn tilted his head despite the pain and fought to keep Rukh's gaze.

Rukh realized that Thrawn's eyes were too dim for a Chiss.

"K'user cat csei s tuv… Vah rsah… veo ch'at k'ir," Thrawn said through hoarse and wheezing breaths. It hurt for him to speak.

Thrawn pressed his eyes shut, clutched at his throat, and coughs suddenly shook his body with pain. His lips were coated with more blood. The strained wheezing was painful for Rukh to hear. Thrawn was on the brink of consciousness.

Rukh was frozen. He understood what Thrawn wanted him to do, to enact their contingency, but Rukh didn't want to leave him. Thrawn must have read Rukh's hesitation.

"Rukh…," Thrawn flinched as he took a quavering breath. His eyes glistened but were commandingly focused on Rukh. His left hand started shaking with fatigue, but Thrawn balled it into a fist in defiance to his body. "Ch'tra!"

The word echoed through Rukh's mind like it was a Force wave. Rukh's eyes tightened sorrowfully at his master, and he shook his head slightly. He looked to Vader and Commander Kimmund fighting and preoccupied, then beheld Thrawn once more, fading where he lay. Thrawn's focus was quickly fleeting. Rukh nodded, his mind decided in respect for his commander, and activated his cloak.

Thrawn watched, through blurry and fading vision, Rukh shimmer away into the air as his cloak activated. Thrawn was relieved in his pain. He realized how cold he felt suddenly and remembered The Bendu for a fleeting moment.

Thrawn began to relax.

His right hand fell sluggishly from his neck to the floor. Sound began to fade, and he slowly closed his eyes. He gave in to his body.

He let go.

"Nowhere to go, this bleeding heart

Is in my hands

I fell apart, my flesh and bone

My flesh and bone

This part of me

The seeds I've sewn."

- Flesh and Bone by Black Math