After your return to the Chimaera, you could sense a change in your relationship with Thrawn. He seemed gentler with you, more interested in your opinion. He had never been rude before but had sometimes seemed distant.

You found yourself dwelling on the kiss the two of you had shared. You would be reading, or exercising, or talking with an officer, when your mind would flit back to Thrawn's lips on yours, hands gently gripping your waist, pulling you closer. You would feel yourself smile, wishing for a similar moment.

However, one thing about life on the Chimaera was very much less than perfect. Senior Lieutenant Ross. Whenever you walked into a room with him, you felt his eyes on you. If he ever moved in your direction, you would find an urgent reason to leave the room. He hadn't done anything to hurt you, but you still found yourself dreading anytime you knew you would see him.

You were walking down the hallway from your painting class, blue paint still smearing your fingertips, long since dried, when you saw Senior Lieutenant Ross coming in your direction.

You kept your head down, trying to hurry past him and not meet his eyes, but the Senior Lieutenant still greeted you with a broad smile.

"Where are you going in such a rush?" he asked as he turned around to walk with you, keeping pace with your rapid footsteps.

"Need something from my room," you said shortly.

"I see. And how has your day been so far?"

"Fine."

"Talkative this morning, aren't we?" chuckled Ross. "Did you sleep well last night?"

"A little cold," you say, still hurrying down the hall.

"You could've told me," I would've helped," said Ross with a flirtatious wink.

It's all you can do not to flinch away from him.

You turn down another hallway, stopping at the door to your room, and press a button set into the wall. It recognizes your fingerprint and slides open.

"Goodbye, Senior Lieutenant," you say formally, and move to step into the room. An arm slides in front of you, blocking your entrance.

You stiffen. "Let me pass."

"I don't think I will," whispers Ross in your ear, his hot breath sending unpleasant shivers down your spine.

"I need to get something," you say with a quavering voice. "Let me pass."

Instead of moving aside, Ross shoves you into your room, following you as the door hisses shut.

"Get out of my room," you order, trying to sound authoritative. It comes out as a squeaky whimper.

Ross doesn't even bother to answer as he takes a step forward, then another, then shoves you hard against the wall, crowding close.

"I know you want me," he says.

You shake your head desperately, but he just chuckles and pushes you harder against the wall.

"He's not even human," says Ross. "How could you ever be happy with him?"

"At least he wasn't raised by huts, unlike you apparently." It wasn't even a good insult, and you don't know why you blurted it out.

Ross's face transfixed with rage, and he raised one hand to slap you across the face. You gasp in pain, tasting blood in your mouth.

Ross presses closer, and you can feel a hardness pressing against your leg. You hear yourself whimper in fear of what's coming.

"Take that back," he hisses. You don't respond, and his fist hits your eye, snapping your head back against the wall.

You scream, a helpless sound of pain and terror. Ross's hand closes around your throat, cutting off any air.

"Wouldn't want anyone to hear you," says Ross in your ear. You struggle against his hand, but it's useless. You feel his fingers digging into the soft skin around your neck, and absently think of how they'll leave bruises. A truly trivial thought considering the circumstances.

"I was gonna make you feel good," growls Ross. "But now I think that I won't. I'll hold you down. Oh, how you're going to struggle under me, screaming as I take you. Bet it's your first time, your blood will be coating me as I pound in, eventually, you'll scream my name."

You want to cry, want to yell for help, but Ross's hand is pressing hard against your neck, and you can't seem to take in a breath, helpless as he growls filthy, horrible things under his breath. In some small corner of your mind, you realize that the man was insane, his eyes wide as he raved, rutting against your thigh.

In your panicked state, you didn't hear the door to your room slide open, didn't hear the footsteps rushing across your floor. Your vision was fading, black spots dancing at the edge of your vision as your air was cut off. Then, Ross was ripped off of you. A blue fist dealt one blow to his jaw, and he dropped onto the floor, out cold.

You felt yourself sliding down the wall, without the strength left to hold yourself up. Suddenly, Thrawn was there. His hands wrapped around your forearms, holding you up as his red eyes studied you intently. It all seemed like a blur. You felt yourself being scooped up, strong arms carrying you out of your room, then Mira was there, her face worried, babbling in concern. You let her fuss over you, still numb. Barely believing that Ross had been stopped. He hadn't been able to… he wouldn't be able to… if he had… you sobbed, burying your face in your hands.

Mira's hand was on your shoulder, comforting. "It's ok sweetie, you're safe now."

You heard the words as if they came from the end of a long tunnel. Felt yourself being led to a bed. You lay down, letting yourself drift into oblivion.

You woke up with a headache and couldn't remember why, until you felt an aching in your neck. Your hand flew to your throat, feeling the soreness there, remembering. You were lying in an unfamiliar bed. The sheets were black, a strange color choice you thought absently. You looked
to the side of the bed, then froze in surprise. Thrawn was sitting in a chair at the head of the bed, regarding you calmly.

You try to talk, find your throat congested, clear it, then begin again. "What happened to me?"

Thrawn looks at you for a moment, as if choosing his words carefully. "What do you remember?"

You cast your mind back to what happened before you passed out. "Senior Lieutenant Ross had been talking to me when I was going to my room. Asked how my day was, that sort of thing. He made me uncomfortable but didn't threaten me. When I got to my room, I thought he would leave. Instead, he pushed me inside, then he held me against the wall, and," you break off suddenly, feeling tears sting the back of your eyes.

"You do not need to continue if you do not wish to," Thrawn says softly.

"How did you know what was happening?" you ask quietly.

"Remember, my chambers are adjacent to yours," says Thrawn softly. "I heard a thudding noise and it occurred to me to go check on you, then I heard you scream."

You saw Thrawn's eyes flare with anger, gone so fast that you could have imagined it.

"I apologize for not arriving sooner."

You feel a sudden rush of gratitude for the blue-skinned Chiss. If he hadn't heard, if he had decided to call for assistance instead of intervening himself… You suddenly wrap your arms around Thrawn and bury your head in his chest, small sobs shaking your body.

Thrawn's arms wrap around you hesitantly, and he holds you until your shaking cries still. You pull back slightly, looking at the tears now staining the Grand Admiral's pristine white uniform.

"Sorry," you say lamely.

"There is nothing to be forgiven," Thrawn assures you quietly, one hand rubbing comforting circles on your back.

"What happened to the Senior Lieutenant?" you ask suddenly, bracing yourself for the answer.

"It's just Ross now," says Thrawn impassively. "The ch'itt'osaho ch'itvosihe'oti has been stripped of his rank, and will be taken to Coruscant for trial." And then, softer Thrawn added, "Ch'at bircisb carcir lin'cseo ch'ah did nah ch'uscehah bav."

You shivered. You didn't know what Thrawn had said, but there was a dangerous light in his glowing red eyes.

After a few moments, Thrawn turned to look at you again. "You need rest," he stated matter of factly. "Do not worry, Ross can not harm you. He will not touch you ever again."

With that, Thrawn rose smoothly to his feet and moved out the door.