The first thing that Admiral Ar'alani and Lieutenant Vanto did was send Ahsoka and Obi-Wan to the medical bay for a quick scan. Once their results were returned, Admiral Ar'alani seemed satisfied and offered them access to the ship's medical resources.

Unfortunately, they did not have any prosthetic limbs on board with them. They were however able to obtain a chair with repulsorlifts attached to it, which allowed Obi-Wan to easily move by himself. In order to keep up with Ar'alani and make sure his arms did not grow tired, Ahsoka decided to follow after him and push the chair forwards. Obi-Wan seemed to brighten slightly, as if he was grateful for her assistance.

As they followed after the Admiral and Lieutenant, Ahsoka uncomfortably listened to them chat with one another in Sy Bisti. She was no stranger to alien languages, but not knowing what was going on made her uneasy. Her first instinct was to reach out to Obi-Wan using the Second Sight.

"What are they are talking about?" she asked nervously, hoping that he was able to parse together their conversation using context clues.

Obi-Wan did not respond through their Force connection but instead cleared his throat, interrupting them.

"Excuse me," he said politely. "If you don't mind, could you repeat that back for the two of us? I'm afraid we're not as familiar with the tongues of the Outer Regions," he admitted humbly.

Lieutenant Vanto stopped walking and paused, looking over at Ar'alani.

"Are we completely sure that they are not Grysk?" he muttered under his breath in Sy Bisti.

"I am more than positive," Ar'alani replied and Eli raised an eyebrow at her. "Their medical scans showed no modifications to their teeth, no lockbreakers or ultrasound communicators. Therefore, they cannot be Grysk warriors. Still, that does not eliminate the possibility of them being 'clients.'"

"What should we do with them if they do turn out to be emissaries of the Hegemony?"

"We obviously cannot turn them into the Empire. That would put them at too much risk, and could possibly jeopardize your cover if they were to find out that you have joined us. But, once they have served their purpose, we can leave them at the Navigators' Guild. They are neutral towards Jedi there. And they would not make a bad living."

With that, she turned and faced them properly. "My apologies," she said. "We are not accustomed to accommodating humans. Lieutenant Vanto has reminded me that we will need to provide human-appropriate food servings for you."

Ahsoka narrowed her eyes, suspicious but unable to prove that she was lying. Obi-Wan just smiled warmly.

"Anything will do," he said pleasantly. "I'm sure it is better than womp rat stew, which I must confess to having had enough of on Tatooine."

"Tatooine?" Ar'alani repeated, intrigued. "Is that your homeworld?"

"It is not," Obi-Wan admitted. "I hail from another planet. But it has become a sort of home to me."

"Ah," Ar'alani replied. "Interesting. Us Chiss are originally from the world of Csilla, but we have also become spread out among its neighboring planets. These days, it is rare to meet a Chiss who has not left our mother planet."

Ahsoka waited for her to say more, but she did not elaborate. After some time, they fell back into place and Lieutenant Vanto started chatting with her in Sy Bisti again.

"They are hiding something," Eli muttered.

"I agree, they are definitely not telling the full truth," Ar'alani replied. "I was curious to see if they would try and appeal to you after seeing your uniform. But it seems that was not the case. So that at least eliminates the possibility of them being Imperials."

"We should interrogate them some more," Eli suggested.

"Good idea," Ar'alani agreed. "However, I think we should proceed with caution. We should use...what is the word that Mitth'raw'nuruodo favors?" Ar'alani paused. "Ah, yes. Misdirection. They said they do not yet know of the General's fate. Perhaps we can use this to our advantage."

With that, she turned back around and faced them.

Ahsoka began to feel a bit irritated. She disliked this treatment, being ignored and talked about in front of her face until they wanted something from her. But Obi-Wan just continued to smile pleasantly.

"My Lieutenant and I wanted to ask some questions," Ar'alani began. If it wasn't for how pretty she was, Ahsoka would be extremely annoyed with her. "How exactly did you come into contact with General Skywalker?"

"We already told you, we served him during the Clone Wars," Ahsoka said, slightly annoyed. She was beginning to lose her patience.

"Ah," Ar'alani nodded, unfazed. "Our personnel actually just informed us that we have received a transmission from him. He is waiting on a nearby planet."

Ahsoka bit her lip angrily, barely concealing her fury at the blatant lie. "That's not possible," she said.

Ar'alani raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying that our intel is false?" she asked calmly.

"There's no way Anakin could have contacted you," Ahsoka said bitterly, "He's...he's..."

Images flashed through her mind.

Anakin, with half of his face on fire and his skin burning, screaming and crawling after her as she turned away from him to leave. Vader holding onto Leia and dragging her through the dark fires of Mustafar as she wailed and held out her hands to her. Reva, a Youngling, lying on the floor of the Jedi Temple reeling in shock as she clutched the wound on her side where Anakin stabbed her.

Ahsoka immediately snapped her mouth shut and went rigid.

He's dead.

I killed him.

Ar'alani and Eli waited as the Togruta bent over, suddenly overwhelmed with a wave of nausea. Obi-Wan looked up at her and reached for her but Ahsoka just shook her head and covered her face with both of her hands. Her shoulders shook as she struggled to catch her breath.

"It's impossible," she whispered. "He's...he's not here anymore."

Eli took a step towards her but Ar'alani stopped him. Walking closer to Ahsoka, she knelt down slightly and placed her hand on her shoulder in a comforting gesture. Ahsoka groaned quietly as Ar'alani bent over her, observing her carefully.

"How do you know of his death, even though you have not seen it?" she asked gently.

Ahsoka took a deep breath and attempted to collect herself. She stood back up and coldly shook Ar'alani off of her. Ar'alani stood back, giving her some space.

"It doesn't matter," she spat back. "He won't be coming back. You can tell your people that their information is wrong."

"Alright, I will inform them," Ar'alani nodded then turned back to Lieutenant Vanto. "I believe a meal is in order. Shall we send them to the canteen?"

"Yes, the food should be ready by now," Eli replied. Then, more quietly, he added, "So, the General is dead."

"So it would appear. I am beginning to suspect they may have lied about their relationship to him...it does not appear they parted on good terms."

"Excuse me," Obi-Wan interrupted and they stopped.

"Yes, Officer Ben?" Ar'alani asked.

"You will have to excuse my rudeness," Obi-Wan said. "However, I can indeed prove that we did not lie about our relationship to the General."

Ar'alani turned to Eli, perplexed.

"You are curious about our identities as Jedi," Obi-Wan said. "Admiral Ar'alani, we possess the ability that your people call the Second Sight. It is no trouble to show you our memories of him." Eli stepped back and his hand flew to his blaster. "I am not sure why you still believe that we are Grysk informants, but I assure you that is not the case. If you wish to test our teeth again, I am happy to volunteer myself to the medical bay. After all, that is the true reason why you ran a scan on us, is it not?"

Ar'alani looked over at Eli. He opened as mouth as if he wished to say something, but thought better of it now knowing that Obi-Wan could understand Sy Bisti. Obi-Wan simply held out his hands to them.

"Alright," Ar'alani said coolly, nodding her head. "Show us, then."

She walked forward but Eli stepped in front of her instead.

"No," he said. "Let me do it."

Ar'alani raised an eyebrow, but Obi-Wan just smiled.

"You are a loyal and brave officer, Lieutenant Vanto," he murmured. "I commend you."

With that, he reached out and took Lieutenant Vanto's hands. Closing his eyes, he let his mind fall into the quiet of the Force and drew on his memories of Anakin.

Anakin, fighting against the Separatists while protecting his Clone soldiers in battle. Anakin, working together and training Ahsoka. Anakin at the Battle of Geonosis, at Zygerria, at Mortis. Anakin and Padme telling him about a mysterious Blue-skinned Chiss who helped him to destroy the cortosis armor factory he discovered on Mokivj.

A million memories and more flooded into his mind.

Eli opened his eyes wide and drew back, reeling with overstimulation. Obi-Wan just watched him calmly as he breathed heavily and gathered himself.

"They're telling the truth," Eli said hastily, forgetting himself.

"Thank you, Lieutenant Vanto," Obi-Wan replied in horribly-accented Sy Bisti.

A tense silence transpired. Ar'alani walked over and finally looked at Ahsoka in the eye.

"I apologize. You are right, we have not been acting in earnest towards you. I hope you can find the will to forgive us. I promise that from now on, there will be no more subterfuge on our part."

"And no more medical scans conducted without our knowledge?" Ahsoka asked snarkily.

Ar'alani bowed her head. "Correct," she said solemnly.

"Why did you lie to us?" Ahsoka demanded. "What was the purpose? To see if we would crack and admit to not knowing General Skywalker?"

"No," Ar'alani said. "We prefer not to use underhanded tactics. However, we have previously been betrayed and were not sure if we could trust you. You may not know this, but recently our people have become embroiled in a fatal civil war. I am afraid that we do not know who trust...not even our own," she admitted. "Because of the Grysks' ability to control the minds of their victims, many Chiss have unwittingly become their slaves. We do not even have a home to return to anymore."

Ahsoka frowned. "I thought you said you were from Csilla?"

"We are originally," Ar'alani nodded. "But most of our people have fled the planet out of fear and refusal to submit to the Hegemony. Lieutenant Vanto and I were sent out to try and find allies to help us rebuild the civilization. Together, we hold the last hope of creating a unified Chiss homeworld."

Obi-Wan listened to her silently, stroking his beard and nodding attentively. "I see," he said. "Your real reason for seeking General Skywalker...is because you wished to use his expertise in battle knowledge, is it not?"

Ar'alani nodded silently.

"Very well, then," he said. "Let us reintroduce ourselves. I am General Ben Kenobi, and this is my friend, Commander Ahsoka Tano. No, sorry. General Ahsoka Tano," he declared, spontaneously deciding to promote her. Ahsoka blinked and straightened up instantly at hearing her old title. "We are now at your service."

"Let us reintroduce ourselves as well," Ar'alani replied. "I am Admiral Ar'alani of the Irizi family, and this is Lieutenant Eli'vanto of the Vanto family." With that, she bowed to them. Lieutenant Vanto also bowed as well, keeping his head tilted further than the admiral.

"Wonderful," Obi-Wan said. "It is a pleasure to work with you. What do you think, Ahsoka?"

Ahsoka blinked, looking over at them. Lieutenant Vanto looked up and made eye contact with her.

"It is an honor to meet you...General," he said awkwardly. "I suppose this means that you outrank me."

She raised her eyebrow at him and crossed her arms, only slightly filled with an air of smugness.

"In my book, experience outranks everything," she replied. "But yes, that is correct."

Now that they were officially in Ar'alani's good graces, she agreed to provide them with resources and a blueprint of their intended battlegrounds. In order to break through the Grysk's defense lines, they would first need to destroy one of their main supply chains located on the nearby Nikardun Destiny. Before, the Nikardun and Grysk species had lived together as allies while subjugating various worlds together. Now it seemed the Grysks had overpowered them and were using them for slave labor.

"Our people have a strong policy against preemptive strikes," Ar'alani explained. "However, our reconnaissance indicates that some Chiss prisoners of war were unlawfully taken there against their will. Therefore, we believe that this would be considered..."

"...A rescue mission with collateral damage," Lieutenant Vanto finished. They truly seemed to be in sync with one another, Ahsoka observed. Must have come from working together for so long.

Just like how she and Anakin used to be in sync.

Ahsoka shook her head and brushed the memories off.

Instead, she forced herself to focus on studying all of the resources that Ar'alani had provided them with. It had been a while since she was last on active duty, but it was all slowly coming back to her.

Immediately, something caught her eye. "Cortosis," she said, pointing out the strange fibrous coating on all of the holoprojections of Grysk warships. "They're armoring their ships with it. Look at the outer meshwork."

Obi-Wan leaned in closer and peered over her shoulder, stroking his chin absentmindedly. "How strange," he said. "I thought Anakin said all the cortosis mines on Mokivj were destroyed? I suppose they were observing the Separatists and learning from them."

"That is not unusual," Ar'alani declared. "The Grysk are masters of imitation. They sometimes copy from or steal the battle tactics of whichever nation they are fighting."

Obi-Wan nodded thoughtfully. "That is a good detail to know," he said. "Perhaps it may come in handy later."

"I don't think they learned it from the Separatists," Ahsoka said. "I think they may have shared that information with them. They might possibly have intended to ally themselves with the Separatists and then subjugate them, like the Nikardun."

"Why would they be using this metal on their ships, though?" Lieutenant Vanto asked. "It is so thin and fragile-looking. What could it possibly protect against?"

"Cortosis is a useful material against lightsabers and blasts because of its energy absorption properties," Ahsoka said gravely. "My friend in the Rebel Alliance told me he encountered a cyborg who had created a skin graft out of the same stuff. His goal was to become impervious to blaster bolts."

"Your friend?" Obi-Wan cocked his head at her. "Why have I never heard of this person before?" he asked teasingly.

"You probably have," Ahsoka replied. "He was an apprentice of Master Billaba's. Back then, he went by the name Caleb."

Obi-Wan's eyes widened and he stopped stroking his beard. It took him a few seconds to recover from the revelation. Although he was in shock, Ahsoka had a feeling that he was also relieved to know another one of her fellow Padawans had survived.

Ar'alani frowned, pacing around them. "No wonder they've successfully been able to pull us out of hyperspace," she muttered. "All of their gravity well projectors are armored with the same material. We've been trying to shoot at them, but to no success."

"Indeed," Obi-Wan nodded, snapping back to reality. "Blaster bolts won't do anything here, I'm afraid. Cortosis is an extremely resilient material."

"Does it have any weaknesses?" Ar'alani asked.

Ahsoka squinted at the holoprojector, trying to remember what Kanan and Hera had told her about their first encounter on Cynda.

"It can deflect energy weapons, but the metal itself is incredibly soft and fragile."

"Right," Obi-Wan said. "And it appears these Grysks have become overdependent upon it, to the point that they have neglected to reinforce their ships with durasteel..."

"...Meaning, they're still vulnerable to being crushed," Ahsoka added.

Ar'alani blinked. "We have some explosive projectiles. But if what you said about the metal's ability to redirect energy is true..."

"Not to worry, Admiral," Obi-Wan said. "You have two powerful Force Users on your side. Ahsoka and I each can destroy one warship. However, given our limited capabilities..."

"Obi-Wan," Ahsoka frowned, "Your condition-"

"-Is not a problem," Obi-Wan interrupted her. "But you will need to be extremely selective about which warships you wish for us to destroy."

"That will not be an issue," Ar'alani replied. "The Grysk have a tendency to base their attack strategies on whoever they are battling. I believe that if we can trick them into flying their ships dangerously close to one another, once the first ship is destroyed, it will initiate a chain reaction causing the others to lose control of their gravitational stabilizers...after which, they will all crash into each other."

"Hm, then perhaps you should consider using the Marg Sabl formation," Ahsoka suggested. "I used it myself during the Clone Wars. It's a very effective maneuver for concealing and then spontaneously launching starfighters...only, it is very tricky to pull off and can go wrong if one ship is destroyed too close to the others."

"Please, elaborate," Ar'alani nodded at her.

Ahsoka began to explain her idea behind the creation of the Marg Sabl maneuver, detailing its basis on a Togrutan flower she had once observed. Admiral Ar'alani listened closely, only occasionally pausing to ask questions. She was clearly an incredibly intelligent commanding officer and well-versed in combat. Ahsoka began to gain a sense of respect for her the longer that they continued to talk.

"Interesting," Admiral Ar'alani said. "I have not heard of this feinting technique before. I will have to study it for myself."

"It's a bit complicated," Ahsoka admitted, "But if you can convince them to imitate it, I think you'll be able to pull it off."

"But will we be able to do it without a navigator?" Eli asked doubtfully.

For a brief moment, a shadow passed over Ar'alani's face. Then she looked up and her demeanor became much more determined.

"The Jedi will serve as our navigators," she replied.

Ahsoka and Obi-Wan looked at her, confused.

"Normally, we have a designated ozyly-esehembo with us...in our language, that means 'one who traverses the skies,'" Ar'alani explained. "They are tasked with using the gift of Third Sight to determine where our enemies are most likely to attack. They also have a second purpose of improvising a hyperlane path so that our ships can safely traverse the Chaos."

"I see," Obi-Wan nodded. "I always wondered how the Chiss managed to navigate the Unknown Regions without ever seeking the services of a Guild. Now I can see that you had your own Pathfinders all along."

"Indeed," Ar'alani nodded. "However, we do not have any on active duty at the moment. Recently, a Grysk infiltrated our ship and posed as one of our own in order to feed us false intel. By the time we finally uncovered their ruse, they had already taken our navigator hostage. As you may imagine, I am extremely desperate to recover her...not just because of whatever purpose she served, but because of her young age. If she were to fall into a life of slavery because of negligence on my part, I do not believe I could ever forgive myself."

Ahsoka and Obi-Wan watched as the vulnerabilities in Ar'alani's calm and collected exterior briefly surfaced, revealing a repressed wave of regrets.

Ahsoka suddenly stood up and walked over to her, surprising them.

"We will get them back," she said firmly, reaching out and taking Ar'alani's slender blue hands into her own. "I promise."

Ar'alani looked up at her and mustered the strength to smile. "Thank you," she said. "Yes, we will."

Ahsoka smiled back at her and let go. Returning to her place besides Obi-Wan, she glanced at him briefly and he also smiled at her.

It was just like old times after all. Well, except for one small difference.

They had become sky-walkers.

"Concentrate," Thalias breathed, placing her hands on either side of the sky-walker's head. "Breathe."

The young Chiss girl inhaled sharply, falling into rhythm with her. Thalias quietly stroked her hair and did her best to soothe her.

From a distance away, Thrawn and Che'ri watched them both silently. Che'ri looked down and Thrawn's eyes followed her. She scrunched her face as if she was being unpleasantly reminded of her own stressful time serving as a sky-walker. Although she also had the benefit of Thalias' company to ground her, it seemed that the loss of her Third Sight was still a slightly bitter memory.

Thrawn's comlink buzzed suddenly and he looked down. Walking into a slightly more secluded corner, he raised it to his ear and pressed the button to respond.

"Yes, Colonel Ronan?" he asked politely. Che'ri immediately stiffened and raised her finger to her lips, signaling to Thalias. Thalias nodded and whispered to the Chiss sky-walker to keep her voice low.

"What is taking so long?" Brierly Ronan demanded angrily. "We should have departed already by now!"

"My apologies, Colonel," Thrawn replied coolly. "We are still working to calibrate our navicomputers in preparation for our voyage into the Chaos. I hope you can understand."

"Where is your navigator?" Colonel Ronan demanded. "This incompetence is absolutely unacceptable. Give me their guild number so I can report them!"

Che'ri immediately turned towards Thalias with horrified look on her face. Thalias narrowed her eyes and hugged the sky-walker child tightly, holding her close to her side. The child's lip began to quiver and she fumbled around fearfully, almost coming out of Third Sight.

"It's alright," Thalias whispered in Cheunh. "We won't let him take you."

The child nodded and clung back onto her, breathing deeply as she tried to stay focused.

Just then, it finally came to her. Two energetic presences, brighter than any light she had ever sensed, shining through the Force like a lamp through darkness.

Thrawn looked over as the Chiss girl suddenly straightened her back and opened her mouth.

"I have found them," she declared suddenly.

As she began to recite the coordinates, Che'ri immediately rushed to input them into the navicomputer. The Chimera's engines buzzed to life with a vibrant thrum of energy. The repulsorlifts beneath its wings trembled as it slowly took to the air.

"Thank you for your patience, Colonel Ronan," Thrawn said calmly. "We have located the Jedi. We will now begin our departure."

With that, he ended the communication and began to pace around. Colonel Ronan's presence was somewhat of an inconvenience, as the tension of having an Imperial aide (or, as Thrawn saw it, an unsolicited supervisor) was beginning to take a toll on the crew. Nonetheles, it was a circumstance that could not be changed. So long as he continued to work for the Empire he would simply have to put up with it. This was neither the first nor the last of Imperial aides that the Emperor had sent aboard the Chimera to observe him.

Thalias continued to watch closely over the sky-walker until she was completely assured that she did not require any further support. Standing up from her place, she marched briskly over to where Thrawn was standing and caught his gaze.

"You are in luck," she declared. "The heavens of the Ascendancy continue to shine upon you, Mitth'raw'nuruodo. The child has entered both Second and Third Sight."

"I am most grateful for this stroke of fortune," Thrawn replied humbly. "But I cannot take any credit for it. It is all thanks to the child's bravery and hard work. And to your assistance, of course."

Thalias raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "I do not mind helping, given that it is my duty as caretaker. But I am uncomfortable with the purpose for which our gifts are being used."

"I am sorry to hear that you are experiencing discomfort. I can contact the ship's medic if you wish to be examined."

"My discomfort is not physical, but rather comes from the heart," Thalias explained. Thrawn frowned, confused. Thalias shook her head. "Do not concern yourself with it. Anyway, that is not what I wished to discuss with you. I would like to remind you that there is a limit to everything, including beginner's luck. We cannot guarantee that the child will be able to replicate such success again. I expect a full rest period once we have reached our destination."

"Naturally," Thrawn nodded.

"I want your word that you will allow it."

"You have my word."

"Even if Colonel Ronan complains?"

"Even if Colonel Ronan were to voice such a complaint," Thrawn nodded. "Although I am somewhat limited by the powers of jurisdiction, he does not control all of my actions. It would not be the first time that we have disagreed on something."

"So does this mean you have gone against him before ?"

"No," Thrawn admitted. "But he is a competent and commendable officer. I see no reason to oppose him."

Thalias frowned. "I believe there are plenty. You said Colonel Ronan is most loyal to the Director," she said. "The one behind the project that you spoke of to me...the planet destroyer."

"That is correct. He has made his support of Director Krennic's project very obvious."

"And yet you see no reason to oppose either of them?"

"If called to, I would make my preferences clear. But I have not been asked."

Thalias lifted her hand and clenched her fist tightly. Forcing herself to calm down, she took a few moments and breathed slowly before speaking again.

"If his project were to go according to plan...then all those who pose a threat to the Empire would have to stop. Not just those who actively oppose it, but also any lifeforms found to be in competition with it."

"That is what those in support of the Stardust Initiative believe, yes," Thrawn nodded.

"Are you one of those supporters?"

"I respect the views of Colonel Ronan and Director Krennic, but I hold a different personal opinion about the outcome of their project."

"What exactly is your opinion?"

"That his project will fail. Even if he succeeds at building it, there will be no peace. It is the nature of life to continue resisting."

Thalias exhaled a sigh of relief. So, he is still of sound mind, she thought to herself irritably.

"Then let me ask you again. If what you have told us is true, Director Krennic's project might not achieve the peace that he set out to accomplish. Yet it will most certainly threaten the existence of civilizations like ours, which seek to grow independently from the grasp of the Empire. Is this reason enough to justify opposing it? And if so, would you?"

"As his comrade-in-arms, I cannot."

Thalias pursed her lip frustratedly.

"I believe we do not have to directly oppose them, so long as we can persuade them to continue working with us," Thrawn explained. "The Chiss Ascendancy and the Empire need not be at each other's throats. There is still a possibility for coexistence."

"You say that, but I find it most difficult to trust your word. If people like Colonel Ronan could have it their way, then we would not coexist with them. Instead, we would all be sent away...I, to a distant Imperial colony...the child to a non-Chiss foster family...and you to a mission from which you would never return. All of us would be separated."

"I will not let that happen," Thrawn began, but Thalias interrupted him.

"And do you know what would come next? The fighting would continue. I do not think that the Director is deluded enough to truly believe his Project capable of ending all galactic conflicts. No, there will always be war. His Project will merely add more fuel to the abominable engine that is the Empire as it continues to grow and subjugate countless nations. Peace is just their excuse for building it."

"That may be," Thrawn replied. "However, as I am not in possession of the Third Sight, I cannot deny nor refute this."

"I am not talking about having or not having the Third Sight," Thalias snapped. "I am asking you if you are doing this out of love for us or love of war. If you will not draw the line at cooperating with the Directors and their awful machinations, then when will you? If not now, will there ever be an appropriate time? Or will you continue to side with them for as long as they allow you to do what you are best at?"

There was a pause. Thalias grimaced and looked down.

"Sometimes, I wonder if you would rather have Colonel Ronan or us," she muttered.

"My preferences are only guided by my objectives. I would not support Colonel Ronan without a reasonable motive."

"That is what I am afraid of. Tell me, if you could only save the Empire or the Ascendancy, which one would you choose?"

"I would come to a decision after determining the choice of action that is most suitable for the situation. I cannot choose until I have made a logical conclusion," Thrawn protested.

"And your logic, does it include us? Do your plans have enough room for your own people in them? Or will the Empire always come first?"

"The Empire may come first momentarily, but my thoughts will always be with the Ascendancy."

"Yes, your thoughts will, but not your choices," Thalias fired back. Thrawn opened his mouth to respond and she turned away. "It does not matter," she said dismissively. "We should not waste time arguing with one another when your heart is already decided. If you wish to continue cooperating with Colonel Ronan and Director Krennic, then I will not stop you."

"I am also working towards the liberation of our people," Thrawn frowned. "I will always do what is best for them."

"No, you mean you will do what is best for your commanding officers," Thalias replied. "Advocate for them as much as you wish, I will continue to fight how I see fit. We shall see who achieves peace first."