When they arrived at the apartments there was a tense moment when one of the neighbors looked out the window and took exception to Thrawn being in the building. However Sarabeth was quick to intercept them and won the ensuing argument, turning the disgruntled elderly human back to their apartment with surprising ease. Every part of it had an air of being done many times before. Still, Thrawn did not comment.
Going into the lift, rising up five floors the two remained silent. Then she led the way to a small, corner apartment which seemed more negeleted than the other doors in the hall. Not even the carpet up to it had been treated with the same care. Without a word Sarabeth led the way up to the door and unlocked it, allowing Thrawn inside as well before shutting it firmly against the outside world. Thrawn spoke, "You do not live alone." The amount of dishes and other things that Sarabeth had unconsciously gone to gather laid testament to that.
However before there could be more said a seven-year-old boy bound out the small bedroom in the back left, crying out, "Mama!" ran and hugged Sarabeth around the waist.
Sarabeth contentedly returned the embrace mummering, "Hello Jinn." This left Thrawn free to see that even though Jinn looked nothing like his mother there was a kind of grace they shared. Watching them move he could see that Jinn matched his mother's gait, stance when still, and had several twitches in common. This took only the few seconds that Sarabeth took to remember that Thrawn was also in the room. She turned Jinn to let him face Thrawn saying in Basic, "Jinn this is Commander Thrawn. Commander this is my son Jinn."
Anyone seeing the boy with the pair of them would have thought that he was Thrawn's son because he was Thrawn in miniature. However Thrawn could see the differences in his fellow Chiss and moved forward to kneel down in front of Jinn to get a better look. "I am pleased to meet you Jinn."
It seemed as if Jinn was transfixed by Thrawn. The boy reached out and touched his face before whispering in Sy Biss, "He looks just like me Mama."
Thrawn answered in the same language, "That is because I am a Chiss, like you." Seeing the boy's face cloud, "Do you not know your own people?"
Sarabeth answered, "I found Jinn when he was a few months old. There were no signs of anyone to take care of him." Stroking the boy's hair, "In fact, there were a dozen bounty hunters out to get any information and saw him as a prize."
Jinn took up the story, "So Mama brought me here to be safe." A clouded look covered Sarabeth's face for an instant. But there was no sign of it when Jinn turned back to her, "Right Mama?"
She smiled down at him, "Yes my child." Looking to Thrawn again, "Perhaps the Commander could tell us more about the Chiss." Back at her son, "Would you like that?"
The boy clapped his hands, "YES!" An excited young face looked to Thrawn, "Will you please tell me?"
Thrawn nodded, "Yes, I will." Jinn gave a cry of joy, and Sarabeth smiled at Thrawn. Not a fake smile but a full, true smile that showed everything before was a ghost. And he was glad he agreed.