AN: FDT2015, thank you for the review! I'm flattered that you like the story enough to read it multiple times and I'm glad it has enough depth for you to keep finding new things. The growth and development of Thrawn and Chiara's relationship is definitely one of the things that keeps me interested in writing this series.
Chapter 7
Thrawn pressed back into his chair, one hand working uselessly at the collar of his uniform, fighting against the force that sought to choke the life out of him. Within seconds, Thisa and several other members of the bridge crew were clustered around him, desperately seeking to free him from the unseen force that was slowly killing him. There was nothing they could do to thwart the Force Choke that was restricting his air. Chiara watched helplessly in her dream as Thrawn struggled against the invisible force...
Chiara woke with a start, her heart racing and one hand going to Thrawn's chest to assure herself that he was still breathing. It was just a dream, she told herself. And yet it was the second time she'd had this exact same dream within a few days. Was there some significance to it that she was overlooking? She still didn't see how it could possibly be a vision from the Force - there were no Dark Jedi anymore, no Sith to threaten the galaxy. No Jedi would ever use a Force power as steeped in the Dark Side as the Force Choke. No, it can't be a vision, she decided yet again. Just a dream that keeps happening. It's probably related to the stress we've been under.
She looked at Thrawn, watching as he slept peacefully, unaware of her disquiet. He seemed to be resting easily enough and there was another hour to go before he could have any other medication. She had woken up several times during the night to administer more pain medication so he could rest. Between waking up repeatedly and the energy she had expended using the Force to ease the pain that medication couldn't assuage, she felt almost as tired as she had when they had gone to bed.
He looks so young when he is asleep, she thought, studying his sculpted features. He had an air of intensity and concentration that always followed him when he was awake, lending an impression of maturity and responsibility to his features. In the rare moments when he allowed himself to relax, though, his 23 years showed through.
Thrawn stirred and tightened his arm around her waist, pressing her closer to his side. Chiara watched as he slowly blinked awake, his eyes a vibrant shade of red. Those glowing eyes quickly focused on her. "Good morning," he murmured, pale blue lips brushing against her forehead in a kiss.
Chiara smiled and tilted her head back so he could reach her lips. The feathering touch of his mouth moving against hers sent a thrill through her that left her breathless when he drew back. She sighed in contentment and leaned her forehead against his. "How are you feeling this morning?"
"Surprisingly well, considering that I didn't wake up to take any medication during the night," Thrawn remarked, pushing up on one elbow. A ghost of a frown crossed his features. "You look tired, though."
"That would be because I woke up every few hours to give you medicine," she told him, trying unsuccessfully to suppress a yawn.
Thrawn shook his head at her. "You tell me to rest, yet you refuse to do so, yourself? You need your sleep as well, Elor'endil," he chastised her gently.
"I'm not the one who is recovering from a serious injury," she pointed out. "Besides, if I can go without sleep for five days, I doubt one night of interrupted sleep will cause any serious problems. Now, why don't you rest while I get us some breakfast?"
"I don't need to rest," he grumbled as she rolled out of bed. "I have work to do."
Chiara turned towards him and planted her hands on her hips. "Falmi says you need to rest," she said emphatically. "You can either do that willingly or under the influence of a sedative. It's your choice."
"Are you threatening me?" Thrawn asked, one blue-black eyebrow arching in question as he tried to suppress the amused smile that tugged at one corner of his mouth.
"Consider it a warning," Chiara told him with a grin. She turned serious, studying his still-pale face. "And it's the only one you will get. I'll agree to let you read some reports until I get back, though." She retrieved his datapad from their bedside table and held it out to him. "I know you'll do it anyway. When I come back, though, you will rest without complaint after breakfast. Agreed?"
Thrawn's glowing eyes flicked between her and the datapad before he finally reached out and took it in his long, pale fingers. "Agreed."
"Do you want anything else?" Chiara asked Thrawn as she cleared away their breakfast dishes and brushed away the crumbs from the blankets.
"No, thank you, Chiara. I'm fine," Thrawn told her, letting his head rest against the pillows that supported him. His breathing, Chiara noted, as beginning to become a bit labored again and there was a tightness around his eyes that she had come to associate with pain.
Chiara dropped onto the bed next to him, her sapphire eyes searching his face. "You're not fine, Thrawn. Let me help you." She ran a hand lightly over his chest, reaching out and harnessing the energy of the Force. His expression relaxed visibly as the tendrils of Force energy calmed his ravaged nerves. His breathing evened out and his glowing eyes drifted shut for a moment, even as his fingers searched across the light coverlet for his datapad. Chiara swept the device aside and slid into bed next to him with one smooth motion.
"Stop, Thrawn," she said gently, catching his hand as he continued groping for the pad. She lifted his hand to her lips, kissing his fingers lightly as she carefully put one arm around him and drew his head down to her shoulder. "Sleep," she murmured, brushing her lips against his forehead.
"I have work to do," he protested, fighting to keep his eyes open even as sleep tried to claim him again.
"The only work you have to do right now is to mend," Chiara told him, running her fingers through his blue-black hair. "Let me take care of the other work."
For a moment, she thought he was going to argue the matter, but his eyelids drooped shut again and he relaxed against the pillows. Chiara stroked his hair and watched his breathing even out as he dropped off to sleep. Her own eyes started to drift shut, her eyelids weighed down by the interrupted sleep of last night. Shaking her head vigorously to clear it, she reached out with the Force to call her datapad to her hand and set to work on reading the damage report for the Springhawk.
It was three hours later and Chiara was beginning to tire of reading reports when the door alert chimed. Welcoming the distraction, she set her datapad aside and used the Force to trigger the door release, trying not to disturb Thrawn where he still slept peacefully against her shoulder.
Falmi stepped through the door, a case of supplies tucked under one arm and a compact medscanner in hand. His glowing eyes flicked over them, assessing Thrawn's condition. "How is he?" the medic asked quietly, setting his equipment down on their bedside table and opening the case. Inside, Chiara saw, was an assortment of medications and hyposprays.
"He seems to be doing fairly well. I've been able to convince him to cooperate and to rest, for the most part. He slept for around eight hours last night," Chiara told him.
"Excellent. I need to run some tests to determine if the accelerant we injected into his lungs has helped him complete the healing process, yet. If it has, we can move on to the nerve regeneration treatment. It's not a pleasant treatment and makes the pain considerably worse for a short time while the nerves are repairing themselves, but it is far better than allowing them to heal over the course of several weeks," the medic explained.
Chiara felt her heart squeeze. Although it was a necessary part of recovery, she hated seeing Thrawn in pain. Her abilities allowed her to could dampen his pain, she couldn't completely assuage it. She shook the thoughts away. "What do you need so you can run your test?" she asked.
Falmi hefted his scanner and stepped over to the bedside. "I'll need him to be awake."
Chiara nodded and turned her attention to Thrawn's sleeping form. She pressed her lips softly to his forehead tenderly and stroked his cheek lightly with one fingertip. "Thrawn? Falmi is here to see you," she murmured in his ear.
Thrawn stirred and turned into her touch, nestling his cheek against the palm of her hand.
"Thrawn, it's time to wake up," she repeated, running her thumb lightly over his cheekbone.
Reluctantly, Thrawn sighed and opened his eyes, squinting against the bright light as his sensitive eyes adjusted. He focused on Falmi and nodded a greeting to the medic. "Falmi," he greeted, his voice rough from sleep.
"Good morning, Commander. How are you feeling?"
"Much better than I should, thanks to Chiara," he said, easing himself into a sitting position. "Though still not entirely well."
"That's to be expected. I'd like to run a few tests to see if you are ready for the next phase of regen therapy," Falmi told him. "I need you to remove your tunic and sit on the edge of the bed so I can get the readings I need, please."
Thrawn complied, tugging off his shirt to reveal his sculpted chest and well-muscled shoulders. A jagged mark on his left side where the piece of viewport girder had pierced his skin promised yet another scar for him to add to his collection of battle wounds. Chiara's eyes strayed to his back, tracing the lines left behind by the htisahtin'casi that had attacked him during the blizzard on Csilla. She shivered at the memory of how close she came to losing him on that day, first to the great white cat and then to the freezing temperatures of the mighty blizzard that had assailed them. Yesterday she had nearly lost him again, and this time when she hadn't even been there.
I can't protect him from everything, she told herself as she watched Falmi run his scanner over Thrawn's chest. I can't always be there to protect him any more than he can always protect me. He's had to learn to to allow me to go into dangerous situations because I cannot simply sit by and do nothing while others take all the risk simply so he won't worry. It wouldn't be fair for me to expect him to only go into battle with me at his side. Yes, I am confident I could have prevented this from happening, but I can't always be there. I have to still let him be his own person, his own warrior and commander. That knowledge didn't necessarily make her like it any more, though.
"Your lung has healed quite nicely," Falmi observed, reading the data scrolling across the small screen of the scanner. "It is time to move on to the neural regeneration. As I already told Chiara, I will warn you that this phase of the treatment will not be pleasant. The nerves will misfire for a time as they regenerate, causing a wide variety of sensations. It can be quite painful, which is made worse by the fact that you cannot take any pain medication during this time."
"I understand," Thrawn told him grimly. "I underwent extensive neural regeneration once before and am acquainted with the process."
"Good." Falmi selected a vial from his supplies and snapped it into place in one of his hyposprays. There was a sharp hiss as he pressed the device against Thrawn's neck and the medication dispersed into his bloodstream. "Now, you are not to get out of bed at all, today. If this works at normal speed, you will be able to get up tomorrow, and return to light duty the day after, but no sooner. Rest as much as you can and call me if the pain becomes intolerable."
"I know you said he can't have medication, Falmi, but can I continue to use the Force to suppress the pain?" Chiara asked.
"I don't entirely understand exactly how it is that you dampen the pain, Chiara, but as long as you aren't disrupting the neural pathways it will not cause any harm."
"Understood. I'll call you if he needs you," she assured him.
The medic snapped his case shut and nodded to them both. "I will check on you later this evening. Let me know if you need anything in the meantime."
"Thank you, Falmi," Chiara told him. He gave her a brief smile, then turned and headed to the door, doubtless to see his other patients.
Thrawn eased back into the bed and rested against the pillows until the medic left. As soon as the doors slid shut behind the medic, he reached for his datapad. Chiara shook her head at him and snatched up the pad, holding it out of reach.
"You should rest. Once the neural regeneration starts, you probably won't be getting any sleep," she told him.
"I also won't be getting any work done. There are matters that require my attention, let me attend to them while I can."
Chiara studied his face. He looked strong enough and his fiery eyes were burning brightly. With a sigh, she handed the datapad over. "You work too hard," she murmured, brushing her fingers across his cheek.
Thrawn caught her fingers with his free hand and pressed them to his lips. "As do you. Now, come and sit with me."
She complied willingly, slipping into bed next to him and putting one arm around his waist. He rested his head against her shoulder as he paged through the reports and requisition lists awaiting his attention before settling on one to work through first.
It was almost an hour later when Chiara noticed the tension beginning to work its way into Thrawn's muscles. A shadow clouded his features and he was clearly struggling to stay focused on the report. "It's starting, isn't it?" she asked him, letting her fingers trail over his shoulders.
Tight-lipped, he nodded. "Let me see what I can do to help with the pain," she murmured, her eyes drifting shut as she reached for the Force. He yielded up the datapad without protest as she quietly plucked it from his fingers. She ran her fingers through his hair and did her best to suppress his pain.
For a few hours, Chiara was able to hold his pain at bay, but as the nerves began to regenerate in honest, it became too much for her to be able to contain. Thrawn endured it stoically and uncomplainingly. "Distract me, Chiara. Give me something else to focus on," he asked her, the pain etching deep lines into his handsome face. His eyes, she noted, glowed dimly, as if through a murky fog.
"How?" she murmured, her fingers still stroking his glossy hair. "Tell me what to do and I will do it."
"Talk to me."
Even his voice was taught with pain. "What would you like to talk about?" she asked, threading her fingers through his.
"We need to discuss when you are going to take that trip to visit Anisi," Thrawn said through gritted teeth. "Now is as good a time as any."
"Even now, you're still trying to work," Chiara muttered, shaking her head at his unwavering tenacity.
"It's not work, Chiara," he corrected her softly. "At least, not directly. It's about us. Yes, my work is important, but I'm also concerned about the possibility that you could be banned from Chiss space or forced to return to Csilla."
"You do have a point," she admitted. "I suppose the real question is, how soon do you think you will be able to locate the Vagaari and destroy them all at once, now that we know they are nomadic? It seems to me that this would provide an ideal time for me to leave."
"It is my first line of priority, as soon as I am able to return to full duty," he told her, taking in a ragged breath.
Chiara considered for a moment. According to Falmi, he should be able to return to light duty in two more days; full duty would probably follow only three or four days after that. A sigh escaped her lips as she came to the inescapable conclusion. "I suppose that means I should leave soon, if it is to be clear that I have absolutely nothing to do with the attack."
Thrawn looked at her, pain evident in his glowing eyes. "Yes," he said heavily. "Now that it comes down to it, I am reluctant for you to go. It is necessary, though."
"I know. I'm not happy with the idea, either," she told him. "I'm not leaving until you are able to return to duty, though. I'll stay here and help you with the base and with keeping everything in order until then."
Thrawn nodded wordlessly, his arms tightening around her waist as they both contemplated her imminent departure.
Chiara studied him, feeling his pain radiate across the bond they seemed to have forged through the Force. It felt like hugging a furnace and feeling the heat, yet somehow not being burned. She could feel his pain, could sense it as it coursed through his body, but it didn't affect her. It was an odd sensation. His eyes were shut tight against the pain.
"Would you like me to read to you?" she offered. It was something he had done for her on many occasions when she had been recovering from wounds and something that she always felt quite soothing.
Thrawn nodded mutely, his head drooping onto her shoulder.
It was three days before Falmi cleared Thrawn to return to light duty. Chiara lingered for two more under the guise of helping him finish catching up on all the things that needed his attention. The fifth morning since his return found them awake early and Chiara neatly folding some of her clothes and stowing them in a small travel bag.
"It seems odd to be packing so many things," Chiara mused out loud as she slipped the last tunic into the bag. "I've never taken more than two sets of clothes, plus a few odds and ends with me in any of my travels, before. It's strange to have a bag that is actually full."
Thrawn slipped an arm around her waist and kissed her cheek. "I think there is room for one last thing," he told her, producing small package. "I had been saving this for our next trip to Crustai, but it seems that now is the more ideal time to give it to you."
She looked at him in surprise. "What is this?" she asked, taking the rectangular package from him and examining it.
Thrawn chuckled. "You're supposed to open it and find out," he told her, an amused look on his face. After nearly three years, Chiara had grown accustomed to him giving her things on occasion, but her lingering uncertainty on how to react to gifts amused him.
Not even bothering to hide her grin, Chiara slid a finger into the package and tore it open. A familiar scent wafted out to greet her, setting her eyes dancing with anticipation as she pulled the lid off the box to reveal the contents. Nestled inside the box was a printed book, bound in ornately tooled leather. She carefully lifted it from the box and read the title printed on the spine. "The Tale of Beran and Luthian." She glanced at Thrawn. "I've never heard of them before."
"They were the first ever pairing of a Chiss with a non-Chiss," he told her. "Their story has all but faded from memory, now, but a few of these books still remain. I've been searching for one for over two years. I thought it would make for good reading material during your journey."
Chiara ran a finger over the cover, savoring the texture of the embossed leather as she absorbed Thrawn's words. She carefully slipped the antique book back into the protective box and added it to her bag. "Thank you," she murmured, turning back to Thrawn and putting her arms around him. He embraced her tenderly, his strong arms enveloping her in protective warmth. She felt his lips warm the tip of her ear with a kiss that trailed down to her temple, on to her cheek and finally settled on her mouth. Her lips parted beneath his as he tangled one hand through her dark auburn hair, pulling her against his body. She could feel every muscle in his sculpted chest through his thin undertunic as she pressed against him, returning his kiss with a passion that caught even her off guard. She tugged at the fabric, pulling it up over his head and tossing it carelessly to the floor. Thrawn shifted his grip to whisk her off her feet, his lips still busy with hers as he deposited her on their bed.
The comlink picked that rather inopportune moment to trill at them. Thrawn rumbled in his throat, expressing his displeasure even as he kissed her again. Chiara broke off, gently but firmly pushing him away. "Duty calls," she told him, a ghost of a smile tugging at her lips.
Thrawn sighed, his gaze lingering on her for a moment before he rolled out of bed and crossed to the com panel built into one wall. "This is Commander Mitth'raw'nuruodo," he answered, his smooth tone betraying none of his annoyance at being interrupted.
"Commander, this is Chief Yal'avi'kema. I have completed the pre-flight check of the shuttle you ordered prepped for launch," the voice on the other end told him.
Thrawn glanced at Chiara, a decidedly disappointed look on his face. "Acknowledged."
Chiara sat up, straightening her tunic and getting to her feet as Thrawn keyed off the com. "I suppose this means I ought to get going," she said reluctantly.
"I suppose you are correct," Thrawn agreed, clearly not feeling any more enthusiastic about her imminent departure than she did. "I'll see you to your ship."
Chiara spent most of the journey alternating between reading, meditating and catching up on the sleep that always seemed to be in such short supply. Although she wasn't accustomed to having solitude for such an extended period of time, she found it relaxing and took advantage of the opportunity it gave her to reflect upon her life and the many changes she had been through in the last three years. Going from being part of the Jedi Order to a lone Jedi, seeking to serve the Force on her own terms and following her own conscience had been a very interesting experience and one that often required a good deal of soul-searching to understand her reactions, both to her surroundings and to the relationships she had formed here. Although it wasn't as easy as simply following the mandates of the Jedi Council, she found her new life to be so much more fulfilling than flitting around the galaxy, mediating disputes for people she would never see again. Being with Thrawn gave her the change to have a lasting and more profound impact on those under his command and on the Chiss in general.
As the countdown for exit point from hyperspace neared zero, she picked up her new book and turned it over thoughtfully in her hands, her fingers absently tracing the patterns on the cover. Being with Thrawn was still the best thing that had ever happened in her life. It was strangely freeing to have someone who knew every detail of her, who was familiar with all of her successes and her failings, and still accepted and loved her as she was. Being able to serve the Chiss alongside him, to go into battle with him and to help ease the burden of command was an incredible gift. Waking up beside him every morning still made her heart leap. His touch inflamed her in ways she had never thought possible before. Even when they argued, it was like nothing else she had ever felt before; he truly wanted to understand her way of thinking and help her to understand his. Disagreeing with him felt safe, somehow. She knew he would listen to her and that they would work to find an understanding and a solution they could both live with.
I hope that he can get the Vagaari taken care of relatively quickly and that it really does help, Chiara thought. And with minimal loss of Chiss lives. He's right that we can't simply stand by and allow the Vagaari and other threats to close in on the Ascendancy. I can only hope this actually helps the situation with the Ruling Families, rather than making things worse. I know that, if it comes down to it and they do ban me from Chiss territory that he would resign his commission to stay with me and find another way to protect them. I just hope that doesn't become necessary. He's already given up so much just to be with me.
A ping from the proximity alert brought her attention back to the here and now. She focused on the countdown as it neared zero, one hand resting on the hyperspace control levers. As the counter wound down, she eased the lever back, watching as the mottled hyperspace sky coalesced back into starlines, then into individual stars. A blue-green world hung in space before her, a lush and inviting-looking destination. It was, she knew, a paradise world to the Chiss, especially compared with some of the more inhospitable worlds on which they had established colonies.
Her com crackled, drawing her attention away from the inviting planet slowly turning below her.
"Inbound transport, identify yourself and state your intentions," a cool, male voice requested.
Chiara flipped on the com. "This is Jedi Master Chiara Matao. Commander Csapla'nis'ima is expecting me."
There was a brief pause, doubtless as her caller verified the truth of that statement. "You are cleared for landing, Jedi," he told her. "You should be receiving coordinates for the landing site now."
Chiara followed the coordinates down, curious to see just what sort of base Anisi had established, here. The planet looked every bit as comfortable and welcoming as it had seemed from orbit, she discovered as she started on her landing approach. The trees had an exotic and vaguely tropical look to them and there were streams and lakes in abundance. Ahead, the foliage dropped away abruptly into a deep valley. A rapidly flowing river cut through the bottom, tinged with white foam as it cut through its wide channel.
According to her navigation charts, she was nearing the landing site, but she couldn't see anything that seemed promising. Where has Anisi stashed this base of hers? she wondered. As she dropped down into the valley, her sensors locking on to the homing beacon that would guide her the rest of the way. At the far end of the valley was a huge waterfall that thundered down in a brilliant spray of water and fueled the white waters of the raging river below her. Chiara leaned forward and studied her displays. The homing beacon seemed to be coming from inside the far wall of the valley. How was she supposed to get there? Ahhh, clever, she thought as it hit her. The base must be concealed behind the waterfall. It's not likely any enemy would ever find them by accident – they'd be mad to go flying through a waterfall when they don't know what lies behind it.
She gripped the controls a little tighter as the falls drew nearer. Her small ship rocked as it entered the pounding water, bucking under her control. Her viewport was entirely useless under the deluge, giving her an uncomfortably claustrophobic feeling as she flew through a sheet of white water that battered her craft.
The discomfort lasted for only a few heartbeats, though, and she abruptly burst into a large and brightly-lit cavern that served as a hangar bay. The homing beacon winked out once she cleared the waterfall, leaving two techs to guide her in. She eased the transport down onto the smooth surface of the landing pad indicated by the techs and powered down the craft.
Chiara paused for a moment at the base of the ramp, relishing the cool, fresh air that flowed over her, as well as the opportunity to stretch her aching muscles. There was only so much room in a transport for exercising and seven days was a long trip.
A warrior approached, his posture one of perfect military precision. He paused a respectful two meters away. "I am to escort you to the Commander, Jedi," he told her, only the slightest hint of tension creeping into his voice.
"Thank you," Chiara said as she stepped off the ramp to join him. She cast a surreptitious glance at him out of the corner of her eye. She had grown accustomed to the acceptance of Thrawn's warriors over the last few years and it felt odd to be met with such antipathy. Clearly, though, Anisi had warned her warriors that they were to address her with respect and deference. If her friend didn't realize that she could still sense their suspicion and discomfort through the pleasant façade, Chiara wasn't about to correct that misconception.
To Chiara's surprise, the warrior led her into the base's welcoming chamber. The walls and ceiling panels weren't configured in any pattern that she recognized, though the rivers of lights that flickered through the floor vaguely reminded her of the sort of set-up an officer of the Eighth Family might expect.
Aralani stood at the midway point of the room, her expression similar to the one Chiara had seen on Thrawn's face as he awaited their visitors. Her friend took the prescribed step forward to meet her halfway into the room. Since when do non-Chiss get a welcoming ceremony? She wondered. Still, if Anisi was giving her a ceremony, it would be rude for her not to accept and to reciprocate the formal gestures and rituals.
Moving with her best approximation of proper military bearing, Chiara met her friend in the center of the room, watching and waiting for the other to give her some cue to play off of.
"In the name of all who serve the Chiss, I greet you, Jedi Master Chiara Matao," Anisi intoned formally.
So, then, her reading of the general setup of the room had been correct, even if she didn't recognize this specific pattern. This was to be the greeting of one officer to another. "I accept your greeting and greet you in return, Commander Csapla'nis'ima," she replied, the Cheunh words feeling a bit jumbled on her tongue as she strove to get them out correctly. "Do you guarantee my safety?"
"I guarantee your safety with my life and lives of those at my command," Anisi returned, giving the customary bow. "Enter in peace, and with trust."
Chiara returned the gesture, grateful that the other woman had at least chosen one of the simpler welcoming ceremonies and one that she felt well-acquainted with.
With the formalities past, Anisi nodded to the two warriors who had taken up flanking positions just inside the door. She waited until they left before allowing herself to break into a grin. "Welcome, my friend. I trust your journey here was uneventful?"
Chiara returned her enthusiastic smile. "To the point that it was boring," she chuckled ruefully.
"Well, that's not a bad thing, is it?" Anisi asked. "Let me show you to your quarters and then I can give you a tour of the base."