As Thrawn's shuttle left Lothal's surface, Kanan sat perfectly still, deep in meditation, committing his final moments with Hera to perfect Jedi memory. Zeb fidgeted with his rifle, uncomfortable, but loyal. Kanan had reservations against Zeb coming. However, he appreciated his loyalty.
He felt the slight vibration in the shuttle indicating the docking tractor beam had engaged the shuttle. Sensing Thrawn stand up, Kanan inclined his head towards him.
"We are landing in a part of the bay that is a bit more secure, more private. I will escort you to your quarters. Then Master Jedi, I have a slight task for you."
Kanan inclined his head in acquiescence.
They quietly left the shuttle once docking was complete, Zeb following Thrawn, Kanan lagging a bit behind as he tried to absorb what he was sensing. If there was a trap, it was subtle. Problem is, Thrawn was very subtle.
Slipping inside the turbolift, Thrawn keyed in a command, then pressed two more buttons. "Your quarters will be on either side of mine. The floor is typically deserted, except when people are invited. Master Jedi, I need you to don storm trooper garb, something of which you are quite familiar with, and accompany me to a meeting."
Zeb growled, "If you think I am letting Kanan go off with you alone."
With an impatient gesture Thrawn cut off the rest of Zeb's tirade. "If this is the cooperation I will be receiving out of you, then you are quite welcome to return to the surface. However, you will do so without a shuttle. Let me make one thing clear. This is my ship, and while I value your cooperation and insights, I run it."
Kanan laid a hand on Zeb's shoulder, squeezing gently.
A few moments later, Kanan was dressed in Stormtrooper armor (smiling briefly as he remembered Rex nagging him about how he wore it) and accompanying Thrawn back down the elevator. After it came to a stop, Thrawn led him through the cooridor, to a door that was shut. "Tell me, what do you sense in this room?"
Kanan paused, falling deep into his Force Sight.
"I sense excitement, confusion, apprehension, and something else. Curiosity coupled with determination? As if they are expecting a certain outcome, and determined to do something about it."
"Thrawn nodded absently. "Those with the latter feeling, would they be in the back of the room, towards the other entrance?"
Nodding, Kanan added, "I sense two of them. ISB?"
"Very good," Thrawn murmured. "Once inside, position yourself near the back to prevent their escape."
Without another word, Thrawn strolled through the door, hands behind his back, eyes sharp, his pace slow and measured. Kanan entered behind him and branched off to the back of the room.
With slow measured words, Thrawn laid out the events in the empire of the recent days, the waste of life involved with the death star, both in its offensive outputs, plus in it's destruction. Finally, he concluded the meeting with the transmission showing the new threat in Wild Space.
One of the officers in the back near Kanan rose to his feet. "Lt. Conle, you have something you wish to add?" inquired Thrawn.
"Am I to understand, you are commandeering the ship and leaving the Empire?" Lt Conle asked, very precisely.
Kanan instantly sensed the mood change. Where excitement was building, now there was fear and trepidation starting to creep in. Thrawn stood still boring those red eyes directly at the officer. "I would rather think of it as borrowing the destroyer to ensure the survival of the galaxy. If I have judged wrong, when we return I will absolve the crew of all complicity, and submit myself to the Emperor personally for his judgement."
Walking to the side slightly, causing the officer to turn his back completely to Kanan, he paused and added, "But, you know how often I have been wrong before, do you not?"
Lt Conle went for his sidearm, his hand a blur, and found he could not raise his arm. Kanan had his arm in a lock, aided by the Force. Lt. Conle associate bolted for the door, before being tripped by Kanan and helped to the ground with an extra push from the Force, rendering him unconscious.
As the two were escorted out, Thrawn looked torward Captain Faro. "It appears we were correct in our assumptions of who the ISB moles were." Faro nodded briefly.
"Dismissed," Thrawn announced. The remaining officers filed out, muttering excitedly. Faro remained behind, as did Kanan, who never took well to procedures and dictations. Turning towards Kanan, Faro whispered, "Is this him? The Jedi?"
Thrawn nodded as Kanan moved closer. "He and a Lasat have agreed to be our advisors, in exchange for them reporting favorably to the Rebel alliance when the war is over." Faro dipped her head to Kanan, saluted Thrawn, and started out the door. "Oh, sir, we made the first jump you requested, waiting second set of coordinates."
Thrawn passed a disk to Faro, "Follow these coordinates. Several short jumps to confuse any sub space beacons that could be used to track us."
After Faro left Thrawn turned to Kanan. "Most efficient. Quite, and quick. What did you pick up from the rest?" inquired Thrawn, as he turned to leave.
"Mostly excitement, pride, some trepidation, but nothing most were even aware of" replied Kanan, following in beside Thrawn.
"Very good. We will be at the Chiss home world in two days. I suggest you rest and meditate. I'll let the Lasat out to train with some of my private guards. See if he can train some of my men in his technique, and see if he can learn from them as well. We have two days until the war, begins again."