It was later afternoon on a Saturday. The greasy wet weather had finally caught up with the season and she was finally back at school and the Dursleys. Knowing that she wouldn't be able to do anything else at home, she had persuaded the Dursley's to let her drive to school by bus so that she could use the library like all the other students. Raymond and Anthony were sitting next to her their noses buried in large tomes of books themselves. Once a month she was visiting the greasy haired potions master, who also had established her contact with other teachers of Hogwarts with whom she was now regularly corresponding via owl post. Thankfully they all kept their correspondence with her from the headmaster at her request. It now meant that her workload had doubled. The only thing she still missed was a wand, but she knew that her parents wouldn't buy her one. She planned on fast tracking her wizarding education in order to avoid being forced to go to Hogwarts. The Malfoy library aided her pursuit immensely. But she also needed to keep her grades up in the Muggle World. She could not slip. Her last maths test would probably be an A-. That was an horrific idea. The Muggle World was her future. Not the Wizarding world.
A prefect whom she shared her fencing class with, Wendy, silently walked up to her and whispered:" Sorry to bother you, Harriet. Headmaster Giles would like to talk to you."
"Really? Why?" She asked blood draining from her face. Her two friends also interrupted their reading. Had she failed her last Maths exam? She couldn't have. Would she have to go?
"Yes. I don't know." Wendy shrugged. "It'll be fine. Don't worry."
The way to the headmaster's office was a long one and Harriet knew that she should not keep him waiting. Each sound resounded dully from the tiled floor. But what could he possibly want from her. Her heart grew heavy. She didn't want to leave this school. It was her sanctuary.
…
"Ah. Miss Potter." He greeted her cleaning his glasses. Something that he always did when he was nervous. "Please come in. Come in."
"I'm sorry Professor." She asked him. "Did I do something wrong?"
"Oh, no of course not. No. No. No." he assured her shaking his head. "It's just. You do know that you have a scholarship in our school." He began.
"No. The scholarship is running out?" she whispered with trembling voice her heartbeat accelerating.
"No, of course not." He laughed. "Well, technically, there is no scholarship."
"What?!" Harriet shrieked hot and cold showers rushing down her back.
"Ahm, yes, well. But our school has patrons who are providing the opportunity of a scholarship to very special individuals. Individual's like yourself." Giles told her.
Harriet gaped at him. She couldn't utter a word. So many questions were racing through her head. She had no idea where to begin.
"Well, your patron, a former alumna of this school is very curious about you and wants to meet you." He told her.
Harry breathed out evenly. Ok. Well, that she could probably handle. But she had to make a good impression otherwise the patron could decide to retract her funding.
"Alright. When?" she asked her headmaster curiously. Now she had to prepare. She had to plan.
"Now." He told her.
"Now!?" She protested with a shrill voice hectically brushing through her hair trying to pat it. "But it's Saturday. I don't wear my uniform. I'm going to make a bad impression."
Headmaster Giles giggled. That was so wrong. A headmaster should not giggle. Harriet thought in panic. "You have already impressed her, Ms. Potter. She just wants to meet you personally."
With that he stepped towards the carved wooden doors in his office and opened them revealing a deathly pale female with tightly wound blood-red hair and dark red lips. She wore a tight-fitting ornamented leather cloak with shining stiletto heel boots. Harriet would have believed her to be a vampire hadn't she stood at the open window relishing in the sunlight with a content smile. The woman had a sharp penetrating gaze and her smile seemed a tad bit sly once she locked eyes with her. Somehow Harriet had the impression that this woman wasn't one to be trifled with even though she appeared to be pleasant.
"Ah, so this is my little protégé, I've heard so much about?" her velvet feminine voice asked moving towards Harriet with a smoothness that reminded her of her favourite feline animal.
"Baroness de la Roque" her headmaster addressed the woman. "May I present Harriet Thea Athena Potter."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, madame." Harry said nervously bobbing a curtsey, not exactly knowing what to do.
The Baroness laughed about it in good humour and shook her head. "The pleasure is all mine. Well, nobody ever has curtseyed at me before. That's a first. No, you really don't need to do this."
Harriet grinned awkwardly at her and the woman seemed to understand her predicament and winked at her.
"Giles, might I have a moment alone with her?" the Baroness asked. "There is much I'd like to discuss with her."
My fellow citizens of Earth,
My name is Harriet Thea Athena Potter. I was born in London. Like many others of our people, I was pressed into our empire's service. I too partook in the rigorous basic training that came with the draft. But eventually my willingness to serve … our dear empire did not go unnoticed and gave me the opportunity to transfer to a naval academy. There I was shown the opportunity to become the very best of what I could achieve. Being a naval officer in the grand navy of our emperor. I do not feel remorse for doing my duty. I follow the code of practice of the imperial navy with pride. After years of hard trials there, I received the high honour of being transferred to Grand Admiral Thrawn's Flagship Chimera of the 7th fleet.
I exposed a dangerous serial offender who was threating the integrity of our empire by murdering innocents. He was misusing his powerful position and slaughtered hard-working members of the empire, just because he saw them as a threat to his own personal narrow world view. I could not stand idly by and let this continue. Everyone of these individuals could have been one of you. Murdered by a traitor, never being able to return home to their family. My effort was awarded as I was given the high honour of serving Emperor Palpatine under my Commander Grand Admiral Thrawn.
I'm hereby asking you to trust in the Empire, which brings peace and prosperity to the galaxy. It will solve our most dire problem of global warming, make sure that nobody will ever go hungry again and it will make our planet great again. Men and women will have equal opportunities to reach their best potential.
Heed my words. Do not wait for the conscription to come. Enlist now, serve our Nero, travel the galaxy and help bringing peace to troubled worlds like ours.
Follow my example! Enlist to the empire. Enlist, do your duty to ensure the safety of our galaxy.
If I was able to achieve all of that, so will you.
The transmission ended and the normal holonet channel resumed. Yet nobody continued to listen to it as the last video had been far too shocking. Imperial officials certainly noted that it had created a buzz among the populous, but to their dismay the information flow they were trying to curb since taking over the planet spiked and increased again and their request for more protocol droids had been denied by the high command. And there was indication that somebody was interfering with their efforts to curb the data flow.
...Somewhere in the vast space of the dark net, where many social media platforms had now found refuge from the empire…
Matcha467: I can't believe that she would side with the empire!
Dudla69: Matcha467 Oh Come on. After everything that she has tried to achieve here, do you really believe that she would side with them. She was forced to do that! Besides she sounds like she is falling asleep at any moment.
Matcha467: That's freaking Harry Potter! You do not simply force her to do something! She pretty much defied everyone to do what she thought was right. And I'm not going to start on all the inventions her company developed. Btw. What's wrong with her eyes? She's blinking like hell.
Loonybin666: We're all outmatched by the empire. And you can see that she is less than amused in doing so. Everyone knows that they wanted to take her cousin!
Chitchat999: Matcha467. Can't believe it either, but every person has a breaking point. If they have found it, then they could have turned her. And it seems they did. Her family is her breaking point.
Dampfplauderer1: Why are you against the empire? You heard what you said. They are going to help us! #MEGA (=Make earth great again).
Dudla69: BECAUSE THE EMPIRE ISN'T GOING TO HELP US AT ALL! THEY'RE USING OUR KIDS AND SEND THEM BACK IN COFFINS! IF THEY SENT THEM BACK AT ALL!
Dampfplauderer1: No need to shout snowflake. BS. Perhaps you should have taught your kids how to use a gun in the first place. Then the empire would be able to use them. So, don't complain if they don't make it back. My son's going to enlist.
Matcha567: So, Dampfplauderer1, you're basically a traitor to your own planet. Nice. (a clue: not). Your son's gonna die just like the rest of our kids. I feel sorry for him.
Dudla69: Careful guys! Dampfplauderer1 might be an ISB agent. There is no chance that anyone could be as gullible as that.
Chitchat999: Dudla69. I could name a few.
Loonybin666: For god's sake! Look at the recording! She is not siding with the empire! There are a few hidden clues that the empire has missed!
Dampfplauderer1: THERE ARE NO HIDDEN CLUES! You're the ones that are gollible. You just want to see something that isn't there.
Dudla69: Who's the one shouting now? And it's spelled gullible.
Dampfplauderer1: Oh, shut it, grammar nazi.
Warg5: Dampfplauderer1 is right. There are no hidden clues. Face it. She's with the empire now. Best choice ever!
Chitchat999: Yeah. No. Loonybin666 is right. Everyone knows she's British. There are more than half a dozen interviews with her speaking with a British RP or London accent. Then why does she suddenly speak with the pronunciation of a German English learner?
Warg 5: 'cause she's hardly speaking English anymore. So, what's your point?
Dampfplauderer1: Yeah right. You are just interpreting things into the video that aren't there. Why am I not surprised?
Matcha467: To tell us that the Empire are Space Nazis?
Dudla69: No, it has to be more than that. Chitchat999 & Loonybin666 are right. She never does anything without meaning. Her compositions, songs, texts, poems even her interviews had a second layer. Everything has secondary meaning behind.
Loonybin666: And she KNOWS that we know. Don't know if you've realized, but there are two mispronounced words that can give us a clue.
Warg5: K. I'm out. Keep believing in non-existing messages.
Dampfplauderer1: Oh, I need to see what the pig-heads are coming up with.
Matcha467: Yeah, 'remorse' and 'code'.
Warg5: Morse code?!
Dudla69: Hey! I thought you were gone Warg5? ;-) Surprised you could make the connection.
Dampfplauderer1: XD, XD, XD unbelievable. Why would she use a code that nobody uses or understands any longer? It became out of date with the invention of the telephone.
Warg5: Ah. Nope. Morse Code was still used until the empire came. My brother had to learn it as a marine.
Matcha467: Wonders never seize to amaze.
Dampfplauderer1. Wait. What?! But apart from former military personnel, nobody else would be able to deceiver a message that isn't there.
Dudla69: There are more. Scouts are taught the international Morse code as well and the children from her school program. It's in their curriculum.
Dampfplauderer1: Well, too bad that her school program doesn't exist anymore. Bound to fail from the beginning. That happens when you don't let god into your school.
Loonybin666: XD Just because nobody can't see the schools anymore, doesn't mean that they are not there. She loved those children and their families. Do you really believe that she would leave them unprotected? They still exist but have adapted to the new situation. 'God' in schools? Which 'god' Dampfplauderer1? 'God', 'Allah', 'Jahwe', 'Vishnu', 'Odin', 'Buddha', 'Quetzalcoatl' etc…Her international school programs were secular for a reason! They had ethics classes instead.
Warg5: That doesn't make any sense Loonybin666!
Dudla69: Can we get back to the topic at hand? Has anyone cracked her message yet?
Dampfplauderer1: THERE IS NO MESSAGE!
Loonybin666: Yes, we're halfway through. She's brilliant. Btw. Did you realize that she is actually using the term 'Nero' to describe the emperor? How did the empire not pick up on that?
Matcha467: XD XD XD. Nice. Trolling the empire. XD.
Dudla69: Yes, you are right! How did I miss that! XD.
Chitchat999: Well, the empire would need to be versed in our history to understand the reference. So, they probably believe that Nero is just another word for emperor.
Loonybin666: Ok. *drum rolls*: Her secret message comes in a minute:
Warg5: What?! Are you saying that there is a secondary message?
Dampfplauderer1: BS. There isn't. They've just come up with it! It's a forgery!
Loonybin666: And here it is: -.. .. -.. / -.- - ..- / .-. . .- .-.. .-.. -.- / -... . .-.. .. . ...- . / - ... .- - / .. / .- - ..- .-.. -.. / ... ..- -... - .. - / - - / - ... .. ... / .-. . -. .. - . ..-.. / -.. - / -. - - / . -. .-.. .. ... - -.-.- / -.- - ..- / .- .. .-.. .-.. / -... . -.-. - - . / -.-. .- -. -. - -. / ..-. - -.. -.. . .-. -.-.- / .. / .- .. .-.. .-.. / -. - - / -... . -. -.. / - ... . / -.- -. . . .-.-.- / .- .. .-.. .-.. / -.- - ..- ..-.. / .-. .-.. .- -.- / .- .-.. - -. -. .-.-.- / -.- . . .-. / .- / .-.. - .- / .-. .-. - ..-. .. .-.. . .-.-.- / -... .. -.. . / -.- - ..- .-. / - .. - . .-.-.- / - .-. .- .. -. .-.-.- / ... ... - ..- .-.. -.. / - ... . / -.. .-. .- ..-. - / -.-. - - . / -. .. ...- . / -.- - ..- .-. / -... . ... - / - - / . -. ... ..- .-. . / ... .. -. ... . .-. / .-. .- -. -.- ... / .- -. -.. / -... . - - . .-. / .-. .-.. .- -.-. . - . -. - ... .-.-.- / ... ... - .- / - ... - ... . / -... .- ... - .- .-. -.. ... / .- ... .- - / .- . / .- .-. . / - .- -.. . / - ..-. .-.-.- / .- . / -.-. .- -. / -... . / .- / ..-. - .-. -.-. . / - - / -... . / .-. . -.-. -.- - -. . -.. / .- .. - ... .-.-.- / ... .- ...- . / .-. .- - .. . -. -.-. . .-.-.- / -.. .- .- -. / .- .. .-.. .-.. / -.-. - - . .-.-.- / - ... . / .-. . -... . .-.. .-.. .. - -. / .. ... / -. .-. - .- .. -. -. .-.-.-
Dampfplauderer 1: Are you kidding me?
Loonybin666: Nope. Just triggering you Dampfplauderer1: Here's the translation:
"Did you really believe that I would submit to this regime? Do not enlist! You will be cannon fodder! I will not bend the knee. Will you? Play along. Stay low. Bide your time. Train. Should the draft come give your best to ensure higher ranks and better placements. Show those bastards what we are made of. We can be a Force to be reckoned with. Have patience. Dawn will come. The rebellion is growing."
Dampfplauderer1: You just made that up. There is no way that she could hide that all in the message.
Loonybin666: Well, she did. That's why she talks as slowly as if to fall asleep at any moment. She was stretching the empires message to get hers through to us. Here's part 2: ..- ... . / - ... .. ... / - - / .-. . -.-. - -. -. .. -.. . / . .- -.-. ... / - - ... . .-. -... It means: Use this to recognize each other.
Warg5: Use what?
Loonybin666: This: .- .-. . / -.- - ..- -..- / .- .-. . / -.- - ..- / -.-. - - .. -. -. / - - / - ... . / - .-. . . / - ... . -.- / ... - .-. ..- -. -. / ..- .-. / .- / - .- -. / - ... . -.- / ... .- -.- / .- ... - / - ..- .-. -.. . .-. . -.. / - ... .-. . . / ... - .-. .- -. -. . / - ... .. -. -. ... / -.. .. -.. / ... .- .-. .-. . -. / ... . .-. . / -. - / ... - .-. .- -. -. . .-. / .- - ..- .-.. -.. / .. - / -... . / .. ..-. / .- . / - . - / .- - / - .. -.. -. .. -. ... - / .. -. / - ... . / ... .- -. -. .. -. -. / - .-. . .
Are you, are you
Coming to the tree
They strung up a man
They say who murdered three
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met at midnight
In the hanging tree
Matcha467: That is brilliant! Has a bit of Richard Lionheart flare doesn't it?
Chitchat999: It certainly does.
Dampfplauderer1: Care to fill us in on your little private joke? Why should this poem help to recognize each other?
Warg5: Because it isn't a poem. It's a song from that movie with that crazy fire chick that had to fight to survive in some sort of TV show. Don't know the details anymore only that it was a very catchy tune.
Matcha467: During the Crusades Richard Lionheart was imprisoned and held for ransom. That's where the Robin Hood legend comes from. The English did not know where in Austria he was held. Legend told us that the English used a spy who went to all the important castles whistling a tune that only another Englishman would know. And he found the kings location when he heard the whistling tune.
Chitchat999: Honestly, Dampflauderer1 and Warg5. Do you guys read at all? Everyone should know that. And as for the "poem". It's from a book in which the reluctant heroine fights against an oppressive regime. Familiar much?
Dudla69: But then why didn't she use an old rebel song? Wouldn't that make more sense?
Loonybin666: No. Which rebel songs? Irish, Gaelic, Bask, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Polish, Kurdish etc… Only people from these regions would know or connoisseurs of Rebel Music or similar genres would know the songs. Yet she was addressing our entire planet. So, when she took the song from a blockbuster that has been seen around the world she could be sure that significantly more individuals could recognize the song and that we can teach it to those who haven't seen the films.
….
"Here I am. Why did you call me in, Howard?" a mousy haired young man asked sneaking through the glass door. "I can't be seen in the Muggle world."
"Hey, Dennis. Glad you could make it." Howard, a tall dark-haired man with a small moustache answered him. "Did you see the empire's transmission?"
"See? No. There are no TVs in the Wizarding world, but the Wizenradio interrupted the programme to transmit her message. I heard Harry freaking Potter siding with the empire! Why would she do that? We fought on the same side against Voldemort and his cronies." He ranted clearly feeling betrayed. "There wasn't that much buzz since the day she challenged her brother for the Elder Wand a few weeks after You-know-who's final demise."
"She didn't betray us." Raymond interrupted him. "I know my best friend. She hated it."
"If she hated it, then she wouldn't have done it." Dennis protested. "She is betraying everything she stood for."
"No, she isn't." Raymond objected vehemently. "She's protecting her family! We picked up on her Morse code message and checking the dark net chats, it seems that we weren't the only ones. Unfortunately, only two minor chats have picked it up so far and are slowly distributing the message. We can only hope that the empire doesn't detect it."
"There is a Morse Code message?" Dennis asked flabbergasted. "What…What does it say?"
"Look for yourself." Howard told him handing him two sheets of paper that the mousy haired snatched from his hands reading it hungrily." When he looked up again he had a smile on his face.
"So, what do you want me for?" Dennis enquired.
"A major transmission like that is bound to make it's way to the Wizarding world. Especially, when the presenter is Alexander Potter's sister." Howard stated. " We didn't know that the radio transmitted it. So, nobody could have picked up her coded message. But they need to know the truth about the empire and right now they are one of our assets, that the empire has no idea about. Harry said the Rebellion is growing. We need to train and prepare ourselves and so do they."
"So, we want you to give the Quibbler and your minister each a copy of her transcribed hidden message. A day later you should give it to the Daily Prophet. This way the message reaches all of the Wizarding world."
"But what about the other countries of the wizarding world?" Dennis enquired. "Shouldn't they know too?"
"Don't worry. Most of them are already informed." Raymond told him. "Some may have chosen to hide themselves from the empire, but most of the other wizarding parts of the world are advanced enough to not be able to live without proper technology any longer. We are in contact with MACUSA, who is informing the other wizarding societies."
Dennis nodded. "Alright. I'll do it. Care to let me in how you two even know about MACUSA?
Howard and Raymond snorted simultaneously remembering how Harry had broken the statute of secrecy telling them or rather how she had detected a loophole: "No."
"What about Anthony? Have you heard anything from him?"
Howards shook his head. "No, I haven't heard anything about my little brother since the empire took him. But they bloody searched all our known houses for him. Guess we can guess what that means."
"Have you about yours?"
Dennis nodded to the very astonishment of the other two. "Yeah. I mean not officially. A few month ago, Augusta Longbottom paid us a visit on behalf of her grandson. She can communicate with him through the means of a magical two-way mirror. Colin is stationed at the Chimera together with Longbottom, Finnegan and Harry. They are in the army, while she is in the navy. But Grand Admiral Thrawn ordered her to stay away from them."
"Why the hell didn't you tell us that!" Howard thundered widening his eyes. "Don't you realize that we could use that to get in contact with Harry! She could find out what happened to Anthony. I mean he was taken after her. She might not even know that he is in danger. I need to know that has happened to my brother."
Raymond nodded in agreement but gestured Howard to calm down.
"So, does every other family on the planet. For the record. I'm not supposed to be in the Muggle World. I could be put into Azkaban for just being here." Dennis deflected. "And secondly, from what I could hear Thrawn keeps her on a tight leash. She received her own quarters among high ranking officers, close to his and has to run errands for him. The Dursleys are under constant observation from the empire."
Raymond nodded in understanding. "Yeah. We figured that out when they came to vivisect her office and our recreation room. It's a miracle that they haven't found her manor yet. Could you please make sure that Augusta passes on the message that Harry should try to find out where Anthony is."
"Yeah. Ok." Dennis conceded snatching the folders with her message within. "I'll try."
She stepped through the dura-steel door to her boss's office, which she had helped prepare earlier and came to an abrupt halt. The tall Chiss was not alone in his additional on-planet office. Rather there was a slender female with short black hair in grey uniform and a rank plate that marked her as the ambitious planetary governor. So, this was Arynda Price, governor of Lothal. The person who had specifically requested Thrawn and his 7th fleet from Grand Moff Tarkin. There was an air of haughty arrogance surrounding her and Harry immediately disliked her.
Harry knew Thrawn suspected her of blowing up the shield generator of Batonn, yet he had nothing to prove it. Shortly prior to their arrival at Lothal he had tasked her to keep subtly digging for information about her part of the incident that could link her to the catastrophe. Although he doubted that she could detect anything, he had ordered her to bring it to him if she would be able to find something, as he would decide when to use this information best. Thrawn had been pleasantly surprised when he had discovered that she had had the foresight of requesting the entire historical and artistic data from Lothal for him and detailed information and reports on the rebels of this sector. Well, his facial expression had remained impassive, but there had been a slight spark in those scary red eyes.
After whatever dark entity had woken her from her slumber, she had not been able to go back to sleep which had resulted in intense brooding. What she had wanted in her heart was defying Thrawn and more importantly the empire entirely, but he and extension the empire was holding her family hostage. One step out of line and they could suffer the consequences. Her mind had remembered that several mid-level officers had been sent packing recently. They had been so used to their privileges due to their origins and connections to the Coruscanti elite and who had therefore slacked at their work. Thrawn was slowly rooting out the incompetent or lazy ones. She could not be being a lazy one. What would he do to her? Let her family be killed and hand her over to the Inquisitors? Reluctantly, she had left her comparatively cosy cot to start working on preparing herself before confronting the devious Chiss again. She had then compiled a list of what Thrawn could ask of her at Lothal and had gotten to work at finding out about their mission and about the insurgent group.
"Governor Price." Harry greeted her bowing slightly. Not sure what else to do.
"May I introduce my new aide. Lieutenant Potter." Thrawn calmly introduced her.
"A new aide?" Price answered clipped mustering Harry curiously clearly wondering what had happened to Vanto. "So, you were tasked with collecting graffiti of the rebel cell?"
"Apparently so, Governor." Harry answered wondering why Thrawn trusted her enough so soon to let her go down to the planet, but then again, he had her family under observation and she had sworn loyalty to him and it irked her more than she had to admit. There was no escape for her.
"But it's not just graffiti. There is always more to it. It is their artistic expression of their free will. Something the empire is not particularly fond of."
Pryce raised her eyebrows in surprise at her statement. "It can mark territory, mark opposition, be a sign for their need of free expression, a call to arms, a symbol for hope or even the passing of secret coded messages that only a selected few can deceiver." Harry couldn't keep her sly smile off her face. Someone would decode her message. Either her friends or someone from her school programs. It was only a matter of time.
"Subversives usually have a higher tendency of individuality, which gives them quite some advantage over the empire, but their individuality can also be used against them."
Harry felt slightly nauseous talking like that, but technically she spoke the truth and partly from more than enough experience and Thrawn probably knew that.
He was observing the conversation behind the governor with his hands clasped behind his back. If he was surprised that she displayed non-confrontational behaviour again, he didn't show it. She was wearing her "professional mask" on her face. At least she hoped that it seemed professional.
Governor Pryce raised one of her eyebrows in question and partially turned back towards Thrawn and back to Harry. "The rebels are a chaotic bunch of individuals. How should that 'individuality' give them an advantage over the empire?"
Harry locked eyes with Thrawn who seemed to wait if she would go on.
"Well, it seems that they are organized enough, Governor. "She continued. "They were able to best the ISB officer investigating them, Lord Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin. How many rebel groups can say that and live to tell the tale." Harry mentally winced. Her voice had probably just sounded a bit too appreciative of that rebel cell. But that's what she had found out about them in her initial survey about them. She would love to get her hands on the more detailed reports.
"Their individuality allows them to think outside of the box. They are not hindered by hundreds of usel…" Thrawn's expression facial expression took on a warning glance behind Pryce as his glowing red eyes narrowed and Harry gulped and adapted her explanation. "ahm… protocols. Therefore, they are able to easily adapt to any given situation and manage to escape through improvisation."
"And you want to catch them with art?" Governor Pryce enquired. She had known that Thrawn was quite exceptional in anticipating the enemy's movements, but art seemed to be a bit farfetched.
"Yes." Thrawn continued coolly. "When you understand a species' art, you understand that species. Studying a species art can tell one where they started their culture, how they developed their thinking and how they will react to any given situation." Thrawn locked eyes with her and Harry mentally shivered and gulped inaudibly. This was yet another warning for her to behave on the planet. He still was studying her notebooks and the holographic pictures he had of her and in, so he was studying her. And he had told her that she had to 'earn them back from him'. But he hadn't told her how. It was unnerving. Even her therapists had never been able to get her completely, but she was quite afraid, that he would dig up her entire personality, if that was even possible, while he remained an opaque mystery to her. It wasn't fair. Even she knew that she didn't know herself that well.
"The rebels are not all from the same species." Pryce reminded him with an angry edge in voice.
"I am aware." Thrawn answered. "Yet they are all products of their cultures and can therefore be studied."
"Interesting." Pryce stated turning towards Harry again. "Agent Kallus is quite familiar with the Rebels and will accompany you to the major sightings of their …'art'." Ah. That's why Thrawn let her go outside of the hideous imperial complex. She would be accompanied by an ISB agent. Another one. Marvellous.
"Thank you, Governor Pryce." Harry answered indicating a slight bow while mentally vowing to find some evidence against her. She seemed just like a very sly Slytherin who loved using other's as a political pawn to advance her status. This woman was not an ally to her commander. If it suited her, she would throw him under the bus and the Chiss was the only protection Harry had at the moment. She mentally shook her head. It seemed that this governor had no idea what she had bargained for with Trawn.