Thrawn indicated where Dolya could sit within his shuttle. They both strapped in, and the shuttle pulled into the Coruscant night sky. The trip was quiet. They could only hear the light humming of the engines. Thrawn's face was unreadable, but he looked relaxed and thoughtful.
Dolya considered probing his mind to learn what sort of man she would be serving, but she didn't know him or his species. She didn't know if he would be aware that she was in his mind, and if he was, whether or not he would care. Even without touching his thoughts, suspicion was rolling off of him.
As they landed and entered Hanger 3, Rukh came forward to greet his master. He sniffed the interloper down the arms and onto the wrists. Dolya's brown furrowed with confusion and discomfort, but she allowed this.
"This is my personal bodyguard and assassin, Rukh of the Noghri," Thrawn indicated to Dolya. "Rukh, this is Dolya, a servant of the Empire. She will be aiding the Chimaera in battle."
Rukh's eyes were examining her. After an awkward, silent moment, Rukh seemed to indicate that he would tolerate this, and Thrawn motioned toward the Chimera.
"Apologies for my companion," Thrawn offered, "he is an unusual creature, but extremely competent."
Dolya suspected this wasn't a bluff. The force moved around Rukh in a way that suggested an effective killer. At the same time, she sensed something else. He had an intense connection to Thrawn, and despite his deadly nature, there was something endearing in that connection.
"He's interesting," she commented with a light smile.