Eli hadn't been popular at the academy on Myomar, but he'd held membership in a solid group of friends. Levan, Carthi, and Manda had been in his squadron freshman year. They all came from trade-oriented Wild Space families and had similar reasons for joining the Imperial academy. Together, they studied their way through many tough examinations across nearly three years of instruction.

Since his transfer to Royal Imperial, Eli hadn't been able to replicate that sense of kinship. The other cadets sneered at him for his "humble origins," and the alien at the heart of his transfer was stiff and distant. Thrawn had a way of making Eli feel as if he'd interrupted something every time he entered their shared room. Whenever Eli wanted to relax out of sight from the snobbish Core Worlders, Thrawn was there to prevent it from happening.

He didn't know why he felt so off around Thrawn. Eli had seen aliens before. His father shipped goods to nonhumans in the Unknown Regions frequently. Yet with Thrawn… it was as if there was an electric current flowing between them. Every time he looked at Thrawn, his hair stood on end. He shifted to attention even though there was no need to do so. Despite squirming every time Thrawn's gaze landed on him, he faltered when Thrawn looked away.

Eli wished he knew what was going on, but he had no one to turn to at Royal Imperial. So he did the only thing he could think of: message his friends on Myomar. Eli had sent them one message to explain his transfer, but communication had been finicky since.

Civilian messaging via Holonet was extremely distance specific. Intraplanetary messages could send instantly thanks to the satellites orbiting the world. Messaging different planets, however, required satellites to pass the signal from one device to another until it reached its intended destination. The further away one got from the Core, the fewer deep space satellites there were in operation for messaging purposes. So while sending a message to a neighboring system in the Core still took less than a minute, getting a message out to Wild Space took the better part of a day. People in outer regions preferred other means of text communication, and the military had faster means available to them, but the academy only allowed certain types to be used on their grounds for non-instructional purposes.

It took a few drafts to convey the sentiments Eli desired. In the end, his message read as follows:

"Hey guys,

"Royal Imperial is lonely. I'm surrounded by Core Worlders everywhere I go, people convinced of their superiority just because they exist. The only person who doesn't treat me this way is Thrawn. He's hard to read, but I think he means to be polite. He's obviously very smart and wants to learn everything he can about the Empire. I can barely answer one question before he asks me five others. He stares at me like I contain all the galaxy's knowledge when all I am is… me.

"I don't know how to break the ice with him or anyone else here. I miss yuo guys a lot. Any advice on how I can make my last two months at the academy bearable?

"Thanks,

Eli"

Eli stared at the message long after initiating the sending process. He laid on his back, staring up at the datapad screen. His brow furrowed. Why was he only able to notice typos after pressing send?

"What has your datapad done to offend you?" Thrawn asked from his spot across the room.

"Nothing. I just sent a message to my friends on Myomar. I haven't talked to them in a while, and I'm going to have to wait hours to hear back from them." Eli went on to explain how the supposedly-instant messaging system available to civilians worked. Thrawn listened with complete focus.

Eli squirmed at the warmth flowing into his face at Thrawn's stare. He finished his explanation with, "so yeah. I just had some questions for them that I want a response to, and I don't think they'll get back to me for a while."

Thrawn blinked. "You bring up an interesting subject regarding the vastness of the Empire. I may research popular communication further.

"As for your concerns, your friends are certainly as busy as you are with their duties as cadets. Do not presume they have forsaken you should you not receive a timely response."

Thrawn was right, of course. That didn't make it any easier for Eli in the days that followed. True to his word, Thrawn rented out several datacards on the uses and mechanics of holonet messaging, specifically the issues that arose when a message sent from the Core reached peripheral worlds (and vice versa). Most devices only sent and received messages within a certain distance as the default. One had to coordinate long distance transmission plug-ins with altered device settings to go beyond the Colonies while located in the Core. Eli listened with half an ear as Thrawn described his research. He was more concerned with hearing from his friends.

After three days of waiting, his friends from Myomar got back to him in a single message. Their responses read as follows:

"Levan: Sounds rough. You get to see the movers and shakers of the Empire up close, and all they have to make them special is an attitude. I wouldn't befriend the alien guy, though. He might act nice to you, but he also GOT you into this mess. Put up with him for now, graduate, and wait for your assignment back to a supply station in WS with us. See you then!

"Carthi: Well, someone's into this Thrawn guy. I get it, aliens are cool. It's fun to meet a new species. He looks hot in the holoimages too. Pass on anything weird he tells you about the Unknown Regions, okay? Just don't let him define your whole life. Make a friend, whatever, but focus on you. You promised to upgrade the Empire's inventory tracking system with us, remember? I expect to see you there with us in the supply stations. We miss you already.

"Manda: I'm sorry you're so lonely! We miss you a lot too. Message us whenever you need to.

"Thrawn is a Chiss, right? I tried doing research on his species in the Myomar library. Everything I could find just went on about how loyal and secretive they are about their own people. I think it's weird that one just wants to join the Empire all the sudden. Find out what you can about him. We'll do whatever we can to make your transfer less lonely. Good luck from all of us, Eli!"

Eli smiled at their responses. He could see it now. Thrawn would go off on whatever crazy adventure he invented for himself after graduation while Eli took a transport back to Wild Space. Military supply chains at that distance away from Coruscant left much to be desired. Imperials weren't supposed to turn to non-approved contractors to supply their resources, but most had to as a matter of survival. Not only did Eli want to help regional suppliers like his family secure Imperial contracts, but he also wanted to improve the logistics and delivery system at work in that corner of space. He, Levan, and Carthi all shared the same goal in that regard. Manda was more interested in alien relations, but they still expected to stay in touch.

Thinking about his plans for the future made Eli's months at Royal Imperial seem trivial in context. It didn't matter if he couldn't make connections here. Nice at it would have been to bring a Coruscanti bureaucrat onto his side for some issues, Eli didn't have the political know-how to make that happen. Surviving Royal Imperial was less about making friends and more about avoiding enemies. If Eli did his job and nothing more, he would return to where he belonged in two months.

He sent a short reply to his friends, thanking them for putting life into perspective. After sending the message, he left his datapad on his desk. Its screen went dark.

Eli gathered his things for a shower. Thrawn had left for the showers a few minutes ago. Eli figured the time difference would offer enough of a cushion that Eli neither saw nor spoke to Thrawn on the way into and out of the communal bathrooms.

Eli's timing worked. He did not encounter his alien roommate again until after returning to their shared dormitory. Yet unlike previous instances in which Thrawn already had his sleepwear on for the night, Thrawn had chosen to sit at his desk with only a towel around his waist.

Eli gulped. He didn't mean to stare. His eyes looked for something, anything else to fixate on, like the light on his datapad or the loose seam on his pillow. Against his will, Eli's eyes kept finding their way back to Thrawn's enviably well-defined torso.

Certainly that was all Eli was feeling here. Envy for Thrawn's incredible muscular structure. Eli didn't slump in the physical arena, but nor did he compare.

Eventually, Thrawn noticed him. "You wash late. The heaters may run out of hot water before you finish showering."

"I… shower cold. It's a choice." Eli dragged his gaze up to Thrawn's.

Thrawn's eyes brightened as they met Eli's gaze, reminding him (not for the first time) of hot coals. "Humans seem divided on the benefits of hot and cold showers. The consensus seems to exist around hot showers for reasons of comfort. You don't pursue comfort for yourself, Cadet Vanto?"

Eli should be used to questions like this by now. Unfortunately, they still made him blush. "It's not my priority when I shower. I just want to get clean and get out."

"Cleansing is important," Thrawn agreed. He cocked his head, changing the subject. "Have you heard from your former classmates on Myomar?"

"I have. I look forward to seeing them again after my time at Royal Imperial is over."

"The future holds that possibility for you." Thrawn's comment seemed oddly non-committal. "I would warn against placing too much anticipation on one path. My life is a testament to how many turns a single career can take."

Eli offered a pinched smile in response to the advice. "I think your experiences are an exception. Most soldiers have a predictable life in the Empire, especially during peacetime."

"Perhaps." Thrawn stood up to change into his bedclothes. Eli turned away to preserve modesty.

Eli sent several messages to his friends over the next few days. They all seemed to have no problem sending, but no replies ever came in. As coursework intensified at Royal Imperial, Eli struggled not to let the radio silence get him down. It was like Thrawn said. They were as busy as he was. Never mind that Manda had specifically promised to keep in touch with him.

Nothing ever came. By the time graduation was around the corner, Eli wanted to confront his friends. He felt abandoned by them. He even took his datapad in for repairs only to be told it had no issues. His plug-in for long range transmission still showed in the settings menu, and his settings were running as the manufacturer programmed them to run.

After brushing off a few leading questions, Eli explained his problem to Thrawn. Thrawn laid a broad hand on Eli's shoulder, a human gesture of sympathy. "I remember the names of very few cadets from my first time at a naval academy. Some relationships formed in cadet hood exist out of necessity."

"Well, I still need my friends. They just don't seem to need me anymore." Eli hated how immature he sounded. Complaining like this was beneath him. He wasn't thirteen anymore.

"Loneliness is mostly a dull pain by nature, bearable until you face certain moments." Thrawn blinked. His grip around Eli's shoulder tightened. "You have kept the loneliness I face dull, Cadet Vanto. If I can do the same for you, I wish to oblige."

Now Eli felt even more ridiculous. Thrawn had been exiled from his society. Everyone he'd ever known, he may never see again. Eli had no right to complain about losing a couple friends to Thrawn. "I'm sorry. I know my experiences don't compare to what you're facing. You must be very lonely."

"I am looking for a way to resolve my emotional problem. I have mourned my losses enough." Thrawn cast his gaze aside. "You are a good person with which to rebuild social connection, Cadet Vanto. Never believe you are unworthy."

The warmth from Thrawn's touch spread far beyond Eli's shoulder. He smiled despite himself. "Thank you, Lieutenant Thrawn."

When Eli thought of his plans for the future now, he still saw himself working with logistics. He still wanted to help his family advance in the new Empire. But the details of how he wanted to accomplish those tasks blurred. The path that had seemed so straightforward on Myomar now looked like one among a labyrinth. Ever since Eli had met Thrawn, his future had been cast into shadow. Losing connection with his academy friends cast one more shadow onto the pile. Eli had three fewer voices telling him what he should do.

Three lost, one gained.

A/N's: I'll keep these notes short. I've been planning this fic a while and I want to take it in a very specific direction. Keen eyed readers may be able to guess what that direction is. This fic will have four chapters.

Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed the first chapter.