"Just a few more hours to Lysatra, sir." Eli studied Thrawn's face for signs of trepidation. He found nothing but the reflection of hyperspace light. "Our first shore leave together."

Thrawn blinked. "Nonsense, Ensign. We have been placed on leave together before. We even took leave to the same location once."

"The court martial doesn't count, sir." Eli wet his lips, struggling to say what needed to come next. He should have picked somewhere more private than a commercial spaceflight to have this conversation. "Listen… when we get to Lysatra, there are some things you should be prepared for. Lysatra has a long history of trading with species from the Unknown Regions, but some of the humans there are still suspicious of them. More importantly-"

"Homosexual conduct is forbidden on your home planet, both legally and culturally. It has been since the first colony of humans formed settlements." Thrawn finished. He tilted his head, a total lack of concern in his eyes. "We will be discreet."

"We will have nothing to be discreet about. We're staying at my parent's house, remember? They already don't like you. Let's not give them any more reasons to pester us." Eli winced at the knots in his stomach. Bringing Thrawn home was nerve wracking enough. He wouldn't have done it if Thrawn's "art retreat" hadn't gotten canceled at the last minute.

Thrawn glanced around the cabin before his next remark. None of the other passengers were listening to them. "You wish for a disruption in our schedule?"

Eli's throat went dry. Since agreeing to date Thrawn, one of the weirdest and hottest things to come out of their relationship was a consistent sex schedule. Bar sickness, combat engagements, third-party surveillance, or physical separation, Thrawn fucked Eli every third day at twenty-one hundred precisely.

Eli enjoyed their nights together immensely. He would have enjoyed them even more had Thrawn not also banned him from masturbating. Thrawn was insistent that as Eli's romantic partner, he was "responsible" for Eli's sexual needs. He didn't want to "burden" Eli with solo ministries. Eli thought it was weird, but it's not like he could ask for a second opinion anywhere. Their relationship was a secret. In the end, Eli put it down to a cultural difference. Not touching himself made Eli more eager for the times when he knew Thrawn would.

That said, there would be no sex happening between them on Lysatra. "I recognize the necessity of a disruption here. I don't wish for it."

Thrawn nodded. "I understand. Is there anything I can do to ingratiate myself to your family?"

"My parents? No. They're convinced you've ruined my professional life. My Uncle Ennis, on the other hand? He loves talking to alien traders when they arrive at port. He's the one who taught me Sy Bisti as a kid. And I think my older sister Mala will be civil. She'll be more focused on her son than you."

"Your sister has a child? How old?"

"Almost three, I think." Eli struggled to remember. "I haven't seen my nephew in a while."

"I see." Thrawn remained silent for a time, before adding, "thank you for allowing me to join you on shore leave. I shall aspire to pleasant relations with your family."

Eli believed him. If a fight broke out between Thrawn and his parents, he would know Thrawn hadn't been the one to start it. For once. "We won't spend the whole two weeks with them, I promise. We can borrow some hiking equipment from my uncle and see the cave paintings a previous civilization left behind."

"That intrigues me."

"It's the least I can do." Eli reached out to squeeze Thrawn's hand. It was the most affection he dared show in public. "I'm sorry about your art thing."

"As am I." Thrawn returned Eli's squeeze with a tight grip of his own. After lingering a few seconds longer than appropriate, the two released their partner's hand. "Despite the unfortunate circumstances, I still believe I will be able to accomplish personal objectives on Lysatra."

"Good." Eli smiled. "We'll be there soon."

After their flight landed in the spaceport, Eli stepped off the spacecraft with Thrawn in tow. It had been a long flight, and all Eli wanted to do was sleep in his childhood bed. Lucky for him, the flight had landed on Lysatra late in the evening. The suns had already set on this side of the planet, and insects provided the soundtrack for autumn twilight.

His parents and uncle had come to the spaceport to pick him up. They were standing beside a street light outside. The area around them stood cloaked in shadow. Uncle Ennis and Eli's dad were conversing while Eli's mother plucked her gray hairs. Everyone but Uncle Ennis frowned at the sight of Thrawn.

Tension gathered in Eli's shoulders. He tried to make the best of it. "Hi Mom, hi Dad, hi Uncle Ennis. How was the drive here?"

"Why did you bring him? I thought you were on leave." Eli's mom asked. Direct as always.

"We meet again, Madame Vanto." Thrawn nodded in her general direction. "My apologies for the unexpected addition. My plans for shore leave unraveled rather suddenly, and your son invited me to accompany him in his endeavors. I thank him again for his generosity."

"So you're the Chiss fellow I've heard so much about!" Ennis swaggered forward and shook Thrawn's hand. "The name's Ennis Vanto. I work with my brother Jerry here."

"That's Jerrod. Jerrod Vanto to you… Captain Thrawn," Eli's dad corrected Ennis, eyes landing on Thrawn's rank plaque as he did so. "Eli didn't tell me you'd been promoted."

"The promotion was part of our transfer to the Thunder Wasp," Eli explained. "I mentioned the transfer, right Dad?"

Thrawn brushed past the confusion. He extended his hand out to Eli's father. "A pleasure to meet you again, Mr. Vanto."

Jerrod Vanto stared at Thrawn's hand, a steely glint in his eye. "You're not staying in my house."

Eli's mom gasped. "Jerry-"

"It's our house, Brandi! We offered to let our son stay with us while he's on shore leave. We never made any promises to this… man."

"Dad-"

Jerrod Vanto threw up a hand, silencing Eli in an instant. "I can't stop you from traveling where you like, Captain, but you're not welcome to stay in my house."

Eli's voice cracked at his dad's rejection. More embarrassing than Jerrod's behavior was Eli's own inability to speak up. Why wasn't he defending Thrawn? Why couldn't he speak at all?

Thrawn took it in stride. "I understand, Mr. Vanto. I shall find my own lodging in the city tonight."

"Oh, don't be like that!" Ennis clapped Thrawn on the shoulder, causing Thrawn to stiffen. "If Jerry doesn't have room at his place, you can stay with me. I live nearby. Eli can come visit whenever he wants, and I can show you around the planet when he's busy."

"That's… generous of you." Thrawn turned to Eli for guidance.

And just like that, Eli regained his ability to speak. "That's a great idea, Uncle. Reminds me of when I'd stay with you on weekends. Thrawn and I were actually planning a trip to the ancient cave paintings this week. You've done that hike before, right?"

"Oh yeah. Loads of times!" Ennis's hand did not leave Thrawn's shoulder willingly. Thrawn had to take several steps forward to dislodge it. Once Thrawn moved, the whole group of five made their way to Jerrod Vanto's speeder. Since Ennis's touch-loving nature was making Thrawn uncomfortable, Eli sat in the middle of the backseat. Eli's parents took the two seats in the front.

The ride back to the respective Vanto residences was silent until Brandi spoke up. "Eli, honey… you aren't going to spend your entire shore leave with Captain Thrawn, are you? I thought this was going to be our family time. You've barely seen Micah since he was born."

"I'm going to spend most of my shore leave with you all, Mom. I just promised to show Thrawn a few things while he's here, okay?"

"It is not my desire to burden you, Madame Vanto. I can entertain myself during these two weeks of shore leave," Thrawn added, then turned to Eli. "Micah… is that the name of your nephew, Ensign?"

"Yep, that's my little grandnephew!" Ennis answered in Eli's place, a giant grin on his face. "Little boy's growing up to be a real outdoorsman, just like me!"

"Is Mala still living at home, Dad?" Eli asked.

"Yes. She's my deputy logistics officer in the hangar while your mother babysits. It's why we don't have any room in the house for an unexpected guest." Jerrod glared at Thrawn through his rearview mirror. "Mala could have gotten her own place if she'd just convinced that rotten boyfriend of hers to stay on."

Eli frowned. He knew the story. His sister had been in love with one of their dad's crate loaders. The two had gotten "a bit too close," as their mother liked to say. When Mala found out she was pregnant with the man's child, he'd loaded himself on the company's next outgoing shipment and disappeared from Lysatra forever. In the aftermath, Eli's parents took care of both Mala and her son, but they never let her live it down.

Eli had been at the academy at the time. He didn't want to pile onto his sister's misfortune. "I'm excited to see Mala again, too. We've both been so busy that it's hard to stay in touch."

"You been a stranger to all of us, Eli." Ennis nudged Eli as he spoke. "This Captain here isn't working you too hard, is he?"

"No, Uncle. The Empire keeps everyone busy."

"What about you, Captain? Are you too busy for your family?" Ennis' tone was light, but it encroached on dark territory.

Thrawn's response was even, if clipped. "I haven't spoken to my family in years. The Chiss Ascendancy takes exile very seriously."

Silence overtook the speeder. Even Jerrod's face showed signs of empathy. The crisp autumn wind combed over the top of the vehicle, its whistle the only sound in the spreading darkness.

After several moments of no one speaking, Brandi broke the silence. "You know… Captain. We may not be able to accommodate you staying with us, but we could allow you to spend the day at the house tomorrow. Isn't that right, Jerry?"

Just like that, Jerrod's face morphed back into stone. "We're not doing anything special tomorrow. Just enjoying time with Eli now that he's back. …Ennis was already planning to come over. Eli, your aunts will be here the day after. They had to take a trip to the Empire's regional office to clear up some bogus smuggling charges."

Eli shook his head at that. He knew his dad was too desperate for an Imperial contract to attempt smuggling. It was the only reason Jerrod had allowed his son to join the Empire in the first place. "Imperial inspectors can be annoying. It will take a while, but they should rule in your favor."

Thrawn chose to focus on a different detail. "Fascinating. So the entire family works for the shipping company you run, Mr. Vanto?"

"That's right." Jerrod's hand clenched on the steering wheel. "Everyone but my son and grandson. I've been the head ever since my own father died."

"Paydays are like a monthly reunion party for us Vantos. Always a great time," Ennis added.

"Enough about business. What do you say, Captain? Care to grace us with your presence tomorrow?" Brandi asked, her face stony as her husband's.

Eli frowned. If his mom didn't want Thrawn in their house, what was the point of inviting him over? No strangers were around to judge them.

"My apologies, Madame Vanto. I didn't mean to ignore your invitation. I accept your offer."

"Thatta Chiss!" Ennis reached over Eli to shake Thrawn by the arm. Thrawn glared at the older man, but that didn't deter Ennis. Eli had to lean forward and pry his uncle off Thrawn. "We'll be there in time for lunch."

Thrawn didn't speak for the rest of the ride. The Vanto family chatted about idle matters, occasionally inquiring about Eli's life on the Thunder Wasp. A few minutes later, they took a turn offroad into the woods outside town. The path was barely clear enough for a speeder to fit through. At the end of the path was a wood cabin with its own well and electricity generator. Ennis's residence.

"That's our stop! We'll see you all tomorrow." Ennis hopped out of the speeder, gesturing for Thrawn to follow him. Thrawn took slow, dignified strides towards the cabin. Eli barely had time to say goodbye before Jerrod turned back towards town.

Sitting in the backseat with his parents in front of him made Eli feel like a kid again. The only thing missing was Mala trying to shove him out of the vehicle. He gulped down his new feelings of helplessness.

Brandi examined her son in the rearview mirror. "Believe it or not, your uncle was excited to pick you up with us. Sorry he ignored you. You know how he gets about aliens."

Jerrod shot Brandi a warning glance, then turned back to the "road." "You seemed pretty excited yourself. Bringing that Chiss into our home like that. Not even asking me first."

Eli rushed to respond, desperate to keep his parents from fighting about Thrawn. "I'm not worried about Uncle Ennis, Mom. We'll see each other enough. I want to make sure I get time with everyone."

"Including you commander?" Jerrod asked, a hard edge to his voice. "What about you, Eli? Why did you invite him to take over even more of your time?"

Eli shrank back, suddenly cold. "I already told you. Captain Thrawn's plans got canceled last minute, and I-"

"Had no business allowing him to hijack your personal life? I agree." Jerrod kept his eyes on the road, but Eli felt the weight of his stare. It seeped through every inch of the speeder.

Brandi waited a moment to speak up. When she did, her voice was almost too soft to be heard. "Let's… make the most of it, dear. Eli's home. He's alive and well. You know how happy Mala and Micah will be to see him. Let our kids have a happy reunion. Okay?"

Jerrod grit his teeth. "Fine. We can discuss this later."

Or never. Eli would also be fine with never. He kept his trap shut until his childhood home was in sight. His parents did the same.

When Jerrod parked the speeder in their driveway, the front door flew open. A small boy with burnt caramel skin and dark eyes barreled towards Eli. He chanted, "Uncle! Uncle!"

Eli fell to his knees, embracing Micah. "Hey, little man." For the first time that night, Eli felt genuine relief to be home.

A tired woman with a messy bun and glasses followed Micah outside at a slower pace. "There you go, Micah. You got to stay up late for Uncle Eli. Time to go to bed."

Micah turned around, pouting. "I don't wanna go! I wanna play with Uncle Eli."

Eli laughed. He rose to his feet. "No, your mom's right. Come on. We'll get you ready for bed."

Mala gave Eli a hug of her own. They shared a glance, one mixed with gratitude and relief. "Mom, Dad. Eli and I are gonna put Micah to bed. We'll all chat once he's down."

"Great. Eli and your mom can tell you what they've done with our day tomorrow." Jerrod huffed as he stormed inside. "I need a drink."

Brandi followed her husband inside, leaving the siblings with Micah. Mala took her son by the hand. If Mala had noticed the tension in their exchange, she declined to comment on it. "Come on, Micah. It's cold outside. We can't stay out after bedtime."

It took some cajoling to get Micah back into the house. Once Micah realized Eli was staying inside, he wanted to follow his uncle in. Eli used the same tactic to get Micah up the stairs and into the guest room turned child nursery. To encourage Micah to get ready for bed, Eli promised a tale from the Navy as a bedtime story. Mala hyped him up, morphing her brother into a heroic soldier. The plan worked a little too well; Micah did what he was told, but now he was too excited to lay still.

"I did it, Uncle Eli! Now I want to hear your coolest story."

Eli sat at the foot of Micah's bed while Mala watched from the doorway. He racked his brain for the coolest thing he could tell a young boy about his time in the Empire. In the end, he recounted his and Thrawn's encounter with tibanna gas thieves. His retelling left out the fact that the incident led to a court martial.

"...And that, Micah, is how Captain Thrawn and I saved the Dromedar's crew and found the pirates' loot. That's why you should listen to Great Uncle Ennis when he teaches you how to speak to aliens. You never know when speaking Sy Bisti will help you."

Little Micah was sitting up in his blue pajamas, eyes wide with awe. "Wow. You and Thrawn are heroes!"

Eli smiled at the thought. "We're just two officers doing our job for the Empire."

"I can't believe you're heroes! Grandpa told me Thrawn was a bad guy who's mean to you."

Mala sputtered. Eli looked over at her, but she wouldn't meet his eyes.

His smile disappeared. "Well… Grandpa doesn't know Captain Thrawn like I do. Captain Thrawn is the smartest, most deeply caring man I've ever met. We've been on lots of great adventures together."

"Adventures? What adventures? Tell me more!" Micah bounced up and down in his seated position.

"What do you mean, Micah? I just told you one."

"Tell me another one!"

"No, that's enough for tonight. Uncle Eli can tell you more stories tomorrow. You need to sleep, Micah." Mala stepped forward. She tucked Micah into the bed. As Mala and Eli left the room, she closed the door behind them as softly as she could.

They took a few steps away from the door. Jerrod's voice was just audible from the living room. The drink had done nothing to calm him down.

Neither was in a hurry to see their parents downstairs. Mala whispered to Eli, "what is Dad mad about this time?"

"Thrawn is here on Lysatra. His shore leave plans fell apart at the last minute, and now he's staying with Uncle Ennis." Eli paused. "Mom invited him here tomorrow."

Mala furrowed her brow. "Why would Mom do that?"

"We were making family plans in front of a man with no family. I guess she felt bad."

"Well, she's about to feel worse. Dad will make sure of that. You know how he is about his schedules and shit." Mala crossed her arms. "Micah will like it. You've convinced him Thrawn is the coolest man in the galaxy."

Eli might believe that, too. His pulse quickened just thinking about Thrawn. "You'll help me tomorrow, right? I thought it would take a few days before Dad was mad at me again."

Mala groaned, careful to keep the volume down. "Sure, fine. But you have to do kid stuff with Micah. I have work later this week, and Micah gets tired of being with Mom all day."

"Deal." Eli glanced across the hall at his childhood bedroom. How he wished he could go crash in it now. "You're the best, Mala."

She snorted. "Yeah, don't forget it. Now come on. We'll face Mom and Dad together."

The two descended the stairs as one, ready for whatever their parents could send their way.

A/N's: My apologies for taking so long to update. My ideas for this story grew in length and complexity to the point of being unwieldy. I dialed back a few things, but kept others. That's why this chapter is now a two-parter. It follows the same general model as the past two chapters, and that's all I'll say to avoid spoiling what comes next.

Additional apologies for the similiar vibes this story has to Master of the House, my Thraro story. I have my personal favorite tropes when it comes to "meet the family" stories.

Anyway, hope y'all enjoy! Let me know what you thought in the box below.