The delicate Lie 3

When I entered the small, private dining room all conversation stopped and all eyes turned to look at me, as well they should. I had taken extra care to pick out a dress that was both flattering and revealing yet tasteful at the same time. I had made sure my make up was perfect and styled my hair in a way that was coquettish and pretty. If I was going to be hunted I might as well look the part, I had thought angrily at the time but as I walked into the room I wondered if maybe it was simply to show Thrawn what he had and Ged what he could not.

“Miss Gabriel, here you are at last, we thought perhaps you had gotten lost.” Ged said. “I was just about to send a search party out after you.”

I tilted my head to one side and smiled. “Admiral, you should know by now that it takes time for a woman to change from grease pit monkey to presentable dinner companion.”

Thrawn arched an eyebrow in my direction but said nothing.

“Well,” said Ged, “The results were worth waiting for. That dress is quite … stunning.” He managed.

“Thank you.” I replied failing not to blush. Thrawn didn’t miss this either.

“Miss Gabriel had a very adept dress maker on Coruscant.” Thrawn said.

I smiled at him and nodded. “It was one of the advantages of working for Lord Vader and being based in the Imperial palace. Dressing up was required by the Emperor so the appropriate clothing was provided.” I explained.

“Well,” said Ged, “Whatever the reason I am more than grateful that you are here to brighten things up.”

I inclined my head and took his offered hand so he could show me to my seat. Grateful that Cati’s dresses still served me well.

Once I had been seated everyone else took their places so that at the Head of the table was Ged, despite being a lower rank than Thrawn it was his ship, I sat to his left and Thrawn to his right. Next to me was seated Gilad Pellaeon, the Chimaera’s captain and next to Thrawn sat Benjamin Morrish, the captain of the Virulent. Once the aperitif had been poured and beautiful plates of tastefully arranged appetizers set down on the table, Ged toasted to the Empire and the meal began.

One of the finer things about being asked to dine at the Admiral’s table was the food. It was almost always excellent, especially when compared to the standard chow that was served in the regular mess. The meal was perfectly served by silent junior officers who wore their finest uniform complete with white gloves. Over the actual meal the conversation was kept fairly light, mostly by Thrawn who deftly steered it in the direction he wanted despite Ged’s attempts to pull it in other directions. It was like watching two alpha males vie for territory and it would have been amusing had it not been for what had occurred earlier. Instead it just made me feel uncomfortable and guilty. The two captains joined in when it was appropriate and when I was asked I offered my opinion. It was pleasant until desert when Corellian spice cake was served. I stared at the beautifully decorated slice of cake and glanced at Thrawn, then as politely as I could I ignored it. After about two minutes this aroused curiosity especially as everyone else at the table seemed delighted with the desert choice but were waiting for me to go first.

“Is there a problem with the desert?” Ged asked, “Our chef is trained to make it to the high standards I’m sure you have become accustomed to.” There was reproach in his voice.

“I’m sure it’s lovely but I can’t eat Corellian Spice cake.” I said. “I have an adverse reaction to it.”

Ged cocked his head to one side, “Is that so? How unusual.” He motioned for one of the servers to come and remove the offending plate and I could tell from his manner that he was unimpressed. He had thought I would be delighted by this rare treat and he was disappointed in my reaction.

“Miss Gabriel was very nearly killed when she ate from a Corellian Spiced cake that had been poisoned while on board Lord Jerec’s ship working for me a few years ago.” Thrawn said quietly, explaining what I had not wanted to.

Ged looked at Thrawn and then to me. I nodded to confirm what Thrawn had said. “It was not an experience I ever wish to relive.” I said quietly, glancing under my lashes at Thrawn.

“No I dare say not. Was anyone else affected?” Ged asked, looking from Thrawn to me.

I shook my head, “The cake had been laced with glow-spice which doesn’t have an adverse effect on most people. I am very allergic to glow-spice, I was the intended target.”

“Why would anyone wish to harm you?” Captain Pellaeon asked gently, genuinely shocked.

I gave a slight shrug, I didn’t wish to get into it.

“She was the unfortunate target of someone who wanted to attack me.” Thrawn interjected, “It was hoped that by ending her life while on my watch I would come into disfavour with Lord Vader and the Emperor.”

Gilad Pellaeon shook his head. “Such an act is the work of a coward.” He said, “I hope that the person responsible was caught.”

“He met with a suitable end Captain.” I said quietly. “However, one of the unfortunate side effects of this is that I cannot face Corellian Spiced cake, no matter how well it is prepared. I apologise, meant no insult to your chef Admiral Larsen.” I shuddered slightly at the memory of that incident which had very nearly claimed my life.

“No need to apologise my dear,” Ged said. “Allow me to have the kitchen prepare something else for you? It would be rude for us to eat while you sit there without anything.”

I knew if I refused it would be an insult so I nodded. “A small bowl of fruit would be most welcome, thank you.”

Satisfied that he had somehow made everything better Ged nodded at the young man waiting by the wall and the request went out to the kitchen, five minutes later I was staring at one of the most beautiful displays of cut fruit I had ever seen.

“I must admit, Miss Gabriel, I am grateful that the attempt on your life was unsuccessful, you are delightful company for a group of men who have long forgotten what it is like to be in the presence of non military females.” Gilad Pellaeon said with a smile, his eyes met mine and I felt the sudden and unexpected pang of tears in my eyes. His open kindness and acceptance of my strange place in this Imperial man’s world was unusual and I was touched by it. He was a good deal older than Ged or Captain Morrish and his looks made him seem older than Thrawn as well. I had heard many good things about him but our paths had never actually crossed.

“Thank you Captain. Though to be honest it was one in a long series of moments where I wasn’t sure I’d live.”

Thrawn chuckled. “Miss Gabriel has a rather nasty habit of facing death on a regular basis, luckily for us she also seems to be blessed with as many lives as that of a bearded jax.”

“I suppose that was a plus for someone working under Lord Vader.” Captain Morrish said.

I grinned. “I guess you could say that.”

Captain Pellaeon smiled, “So Miss Gabriel, I’m curious. What was it like working as a civilian under Lord Vader?”

“It was a very interesting experience, Captain.” I said diplomatically.

Thrawn smiled enigmatically and Ged laughed.

“Well what do you expect me to say, Admiral Larsen?” I asked him point blank. “We all know what Lord Vader was like, his temper and his passion were… legendary. People still talk about him in whispers as if conjuring up his name will suddenly bring a bad case of force choke. He was a complicated man with a very complicated past that haunted him until the day he died. Bureaucrats hated him and the men who served under him both feared and loved him at the same time.” I toyed with my napkin ring. “I, for my part, admired him however working for him was anything but easy.”

“Yet you survived where so many didn’t, how did you manage to avoid his wrath?” Morrish asked.

I shrugged. “I really don’t know.” I answered, “Though it wasn’t so much that I survived his wrath but rather dodged it more often than not.”

“Perhaps he simply enjoyed having you around.” Ged suggested with a smile. “After all you are quite delightful company.”

I glanced at Thrawn who held my gaze a moment too long with a stare that held questions in it I didn’t feel like dealing with. I shook my head ever so slightly then I replied, “I did my job well. If there was more than that he never elaborated.” I said. “What I do know is that he is missed and not just by me.”

“That’s true.” Captain Morrish replied. “I often hear my men speak of him positively despite the fact that he could be an absolute monster.”

I nodded, “He was often cruel and difficult. He could be very sarcastic and more often than not his temper ruled him. His reputation as difficult was well deserved. I do not defend him on that but he was also brilliant and brave. He would often personally lead his pilots in a battle and he never shied away form facing danger. He was very smart and he was also very good with his hands, building things and with general mechanics.”

“Did he know he had children?” Captain Pellaeon asked.

“He knew he had a son, though not until after the battle Yavin but that he also had a daughter, I believe was unknown to him.” I said.

“It must have been a terrible shock for him to discover he had a son and that his son was a traitor.” Morrish said.

I drew a deep breath. “You know, I don’t think he saw it that way.” I replied.

“Oh?” Ged asked.

“He was proud of Luke.” I said quietly.

“Really?” Morrish asked, “If that had been my boy I’d have skinned him alive.”

I smiled. “Well Lord Vader would never have admitted this but sometimes when he spoke about his son, which was rare, there was a sense of pride in his voice. I mean, the boy was raised on Tatooine as a moisture farmer and ended up being one of the rebellion’s biggest heroes, as a father how could he not be proud.” I said remembering some of the conversations we had had about Luke. “I think that he felt it was one of the only worthwhile things he had accomplished as Anakin Skywalker and it was a link to the woman he had loved and lost.”

Thrawn smiled at me and it warmed my heart. “One of the more unusual things about Miss Gabriel is her rather amazing ability to see the best in even the worst of people and situations.”

I shrugged, dropping my gaze to the table. “You kind of have to be like that growing up on Tatooine.” I said with a shrug.

“I heard that this Skywalker was a bit of a trouble maker.” Morrish said after a moment, “Someone commented that he apparently whines a lot. That doesn’t sound like you at all, my dear.”

I laughed looking at Thrawn who could not prevent the smile that lit up his face, “I assure you captain I can do my fair share of whining when I have to. It’s a pity Lord Vader is no longer around he would have given you a long list of my whines and rants.”

Thrawn chuckled and Ged glanced sharply at the two of us. We had just shared a private joke and he hadn’t liked it much. I sighed inwardly at the fragility of the male ego. Ged caught my eyes and held my gaze. “You must find working under the Grand Admiral here to be a refreshing change then.”

“How so, Admiral?” I asked blushing without wanting to. If the other two men at the table caught his insinuation they made no sign of it. Thrawn’s eyebrow twitched just a notch.

Ged smiled and with a nod to Thrawn said, “Well if Vader was passionate, unpredictable and cruel, Grand Admiral Thrawn must be the exact opposite if all I have been led to believe by Palpatine about his favoured tactician is true, which means working for him must be quite… uneventful.”

There was a barb hidden deep within the truth of Ged’s words. I glanced at Thrawn whose features gave nothing away. He simply sat, his expression neutral, his manner attentive and like everyone else waited for me to answer.

“Well, I would not say that working for the Grand Admiral is uneventful, after all he is the leader of the Empire at the moment.” I said sweetly, sending a little barb right back, “And to be honest, everyone I work for and with offers me new and interesting challenges, Admiral. Each have their own peculiarities and their own positive points. Working under the Grand Admiral is very different from my time spent working with Lord Vader. The two working relationships are nothing alike and comparing them would be like comparing living on Tatooine with living on Naboo. I would also not say that the Grand Admiral lacks passion or emotion, he simply has a much better control than Lord Vader ever did, you just need to know what topics to bring up to engage his …enthusiasm. Working with and for these two men brings me experiences that are entirely different, one is neither better nor worse than the other, just different and each brings its own unique lessons to bear. However, I can tell you that working with the Grand Admiral is far less stressful than under Lord Vader’s somewhat volatile command.”

Captain Pellaeon smiled. “Bravo, Miss Gabriel, that was a very good answer.”

I beamed at him, absolutely liking this man who seemed to have taken a liking to me.

“Well, it seems you have a fan Grand Admiral.” Ged said lightly but his words were heavy, weighted.

Thrawn arched and eyebrow and smiled enigmatically, his face and expression remaining unreadable. “Indeed, Miss Gabriel is not shy about stating where her loyalties lie. Her openness is a trait I have very much come to appreciate.” He said and I inwardly sighed. Whatever undercurrents Ged and I had brought to the table with us had not gone unnoticed by Thrawn.

“I have noticed that she is not shy about a great many things.” Ged remarked. “She is a remarkable force of nature.”

I glared at both men and said. “I am sitting right here. Stop talking about me as if I were not in the room.”

“My apologies, my dear.” Thrawn said. “Although Admiral Larsen is correct in his observation, you are indeed a force of nature.”

I shook my head and let out a noisy sigh but before I could further the conversation in its very odd direction Ged raised his glass. “To interesting work environments, then.” He said and everyone sipped politely to the toast, hoping the moment and all its underlying awkwardness would pass quickly.

“So am I to gather that you actually liked working for Lord Vader then?” Morrish asked, coming back to a topic he assumed was safe.

I nodded. “Very much so. I mourned his passing greatly, I still do.” I said honestly. “But I cannot go back and change what has happened so now we all need to look forward and I cannot think of a better man to lead the Empire into a new age than the Grand Admiral here.”

For a moment there was stillness as everyone turned to Thrawn, leaving me grateful to be out of the spotlight for the time being.

“How fortunate you are Grand Admiral to have such a loyal member of the Empire working for you.” Ged added. “If only we were all so lucky to have such unadulterated admiration from such a beautiful woman.”

Captain Pellaeon chuckled, “It would appear that you have an admirer my dear.”

“It’s a burden I think I can live with.” I said with a grin.

Ged smiled, “I find that as a naval officer I must steal little pleasure where I can. Being in the company of beautiful woman is one such pleasure, would you gentlemen not agree?”

There was a consensus of nodding and I blushed again, unused to being the center of such scrutiny. Thrawn glanced at me and the second our eyes met, desire mingled with guilt shot through me. I had to fight the urge to look away in haste for fear he would see something was wrong, or see what had happened between Ged and I earlier written all over my face.

“You will have to forgive Miss Gabriel she is rather enthusiastic in her praise and very passionate in her ideals, both traits of the young and somewhat naive.” Thrawn said with a smile, his eyes never leaving mine. I bit back any retort I might have had about him calling me young and naïve, we’d been down this road many times before. He waited a second then continued. “But the sentiment is not unappreciated.” He held my gaze a second more then looked at each of the others seated at the table in turn. “I do not joke when I say that winning back the ground we have lost will be no easy feat. The New Republic has gained much respect since they took Coruscant from the Empire and while they are still experiencing teething problems, many worlds now choose to align with them rather than stay loyal to an Empire they see and feel is past its prime and filled with nothing more than power hungry petty crooks. Isard did not do us any favours with her decision to poison Coruscant with the virus that slaughtered millions. We will have to work hard to regain our standings but I believe it can be done.”

Everyone nodded to this but Thrawn wasn’t finished.

“I understand that we both have untried crews and that with the destruction of the Executor at Endor we lost far too many mid level experienced naval officers and crew but as Miss Gabriel said, the past is the past and we must look forward. In doing so we must be patient but firm in our resolve and training of these green recruits. But this is not enough, we lack the numbers needed which is why I am hopeful that with Merlyn’s help I will be able to local a cloning facility and boost our numbers quickly enough that the New Republic will not know what hit it.”

There was a sudden, tense silence at the table as Thrawn’s words sunk in. It was Ged who broke it.

“Clones?” He said carefully. “Do you really feel that is necessary?”

“I do.” Thrawn replied cooly. “Do the math, we have neither this ships nor the manpower to retake the territories lost and while I think it is possible with stealth and guile to do a great deal of damage to the New Republic without the numbers to hold it, this will not be enough. Aside from press-ganging able body beings into naval service I know of no other suitable way to boost numbers without affecting moral severely. It has been my experience that forced conscription does not make a better military might, it simply boosts numbers and adds to problems.”

“And do you have a source for these clones?”

Thrawn’s mouth twitched in a slight smile at Ged’s question. “Not yet Admiral, but I am hopeful.”

“And in the meantime I suppose that means I will get little to no sleep due to all these crazy drills you keep running.” I muttered. My comment had the desired effect breaking the heavy tension that had built up between Ged and Thrawn, making everyone smile.

“Grand Admiral if I may, as we are speaking of passions, I have heard that you have a great interest in art.” Captain Morrish asked, while the desert plates were removed, a bowl of fresh fruit was laid down and a very good stim’caf was served.

“That’s an understatement.” I blurted with a smile. “The Grand Admiral is probably one of the most knowledgeable art historians I have ever met.”

“Really?” Ged asked looking at Thrawn with interest. “I would not have thought art to be something that would interest such a brilliant strategist as yourself.”

“I study art as a means to an end, Admiral.” Thrawn said giving me a smile. “I find that by learning about a race’s art and culture one can learn a great deal about how they think and, by inference, how they will act.”

“So you use art as a form of tactical espionage?” Ged asked. “As opposed to just enjoying it as the rest of us do?”

Thrawn shrugged ever so slightly, “That is one way to put it, I suppose, though I would not have described it so crassly.” He said, his tone now cool and distanced. “Loving art is nothing to be ashamed of but when one understands the nuances that go into creating the art, the architecture and so on of a particular culture then one has a far greater insight into that culture. I do not mean that by looking at a work of art from a particular peoples I can discern all there is to know but the insights I gain help me to form a larger picture of who and what I am up against and every bit of information goes in to helping with a strategic solution to a problem presented.”

“The late emperor was also an art connoisseur.” I said. “He had vast stores of priceless works tucked away where only he could enjoy them but I think he just liked having them.”

“Palpatine was not terribly fond of sharing.” Thrawn said evenly.

“That sounds as though you and our Emperor did not get along.” Ged said carefully.

“Palpatine and I often did not see eye to eye, Admiral, but that made our working relationship extremely interesting. He found me to be infuriating because I was one of the very few people who would tell him exactly what I thought of his plans when he asked for my opinion. When I felt he was wrong or making a mistake I did not try to pander to his ego I told him what I thought. It was, I believe, a sort of game for him but there were days when I sensed he did not enjoy it much. He did not like being told he was wrong and he disliked being shown he was wrong even more.”

“So do you think he was a bad leader?” Morrish asked quietly.

“Not at all Captain, on the contrary. One only has to see the state of disrepair the Empire fell into after his unfortunate and untimely demise to see just how well he ruled. He was a brilliant statesman and a consummate politician who not only had the love of the people on his side when he first took on the role as Emperor but also had an incredible power, one which I have no personal understanding of, but that helped him rule absolutely.”

“You are not force sensitive then, sir?” Morrish asked.

“No.” Thrawn said.

“What about the rest of your people?” Ged asked, genuinely curious.

Thrawn shrugged slightly. “To the best of my knowledge no Chiss has ever been a force user but that is not to say there has never been one who could use or sense it. Such powers would have been seen as weakness among my people and would have bred imbalance in our delicate ruling system. Therefore anyone possessing such powers would more likely have kept quiet about it.”

“Weakness? How so?” Ged stared at Thrawn as if to challenge him. I wasn’t sure if Ged knew that Thrawn was aware of Ged’s own force sensitivity.

“The Chiss rely on their power to think logically and clearly. Our strengths come from this, not from some strange power that seems to be about as predictable as a Tatooine sandstorm.” He said with an arrogant wave of his hand, “While I understand it can give the user a great strength, as well as some other unusual talents, I do not see it as a tactical advantage necessarily. I think it could easily be something that detracts from a person’s ability to think on their feet or with a clear mind, especially if a person who held this power was untrained and used it wildly and without thought. It seems to me that when you rely on any one tool for long enough you become so dependant on that tool. You lose the ability to function without it. Palpatine had exactly that problem, he was so reliant on the force that he utterly failed to see how the simple power of love could over throw him.”

“So you are saying that love is stronger than the force?” Ged pressed.

I glanced at Thrawn, catching his eye, wondering how he would answer this. He held my gaze a fraction of a second too long and smiled slightly. “Yes.” He replied quite simply. “Love over came everything else when Vader killed the Emperor rather than watch his son die at his master’s hands.”

“I had no idea you were such a romantic.” Ged said in a bemused manner, “I can only suspect that Miss Gabriel here is in part responsible.”

All eyes turned to me and I tried to keep my expression as neutral as possible, unsure of who knew what and how much about my relationship with Thrawn but I could not prevent the soft blush that coloured my cheeks, all I could do was ignore it and hope that everyone else would as well.

Thrawn arched an eyebrow. “I would not call it romantic to have the ability to see how a very human emotion influences and, more often than not, wins out over everything else time and time again.” He countered, then glancing at me he said, “I also do not underestimate the power of love to corrupt and destroy either. I have seen first hand what love turned into something else can do to people and the results are often devastating.” He added casually. “Would you have me believe that you have never come under the influence of love and have been positively or even negatively swayed by it?” He asked neatly sidestepping Ged’s underlying implication.

“I have had my share of that particular folly, Grand Admiral.” Ged smiled, looking at me as if to say something more. “However some women are worth the effort, don’t you think?” I looked away from Ged’s gaze feeling a renewed flush of heat and guilt mingled into one. I bit my lip and that small tell tale sign did more damage than anything else. I felt the weight of Thrawn’s curiosity rest on me, the unasked questions which no one else would notice flickered briefly through his eyes.

“I think,” I said carefully, “That the biggest love of any Naval officer’s life is his ship.” I glanced at the two captains seated at the table and smiled when they nodded in agreement. “I think that any woman who falls for an Imperial Navy lifer is more of a mistress than a wife in any true sense of the words because space and duty will always come first, as it should.” I allowed myself a smile, “It’s a rare relationship that can survive the long separations, the constant fear of death and the never ending presence of that other, more demanding, space worthy, woman. I do not think it is an easy life but I do believe it is a rewarding one.”

“You have a remarkable insight into the mind of military men.” Pellaeon said with a smile. “We do indeed love our ships and both duty and space are often referred to as our mistresses by lonely wives and girlfriends.”

“My father was a spacer, Captain. He flew transports and then when he settled down he owned a docking bay on Tatooine. I grew up with ships and pilots, I knew how to fix an engine before I was legally allowed to fly and I could fly before I was legally allowed to do so.” I grinned, “I learned at an early age that a man with stars in his blood was about as tameable as the desert winds.”

“That sounds like a rather lovely way to grow up” Pellaeon said with a smile.

I laughed. “You’re one of the very few who have ever said that and yes I suppose it was though at the time I did not realise what I had.” I paused for a second and then dared to ask a personal question of the man seated next to me. “Are you married captain?” I asked.

“Only to my ship but I certainly do enjoy the occasional foray into the world of female company often enough to be well aware that women are far more dangerous than any enemy I have ever faced and twice as devious to boot, yet we men do love you, we can’t help ourselves, you are a delicious distraction and the lie we tell ourselves about how we don’t actually need you is a delicate one to be sure.” He said with a laugh that somehow managed to clear the tension which had slowly been gathering in the room.

After this the conversation turned to other, lighter subjects and once again I became an observer rather than a participant and was more than grateful to be out of the spotlight. When all the desert dishes had been cleared and no one wanted anything else to eat or drink from the servers, they were dismissed. I politely excused myself before the usual brandy and cigar moment came not wishing to be an intruder in what was traditionally a man’s moment to talk shop without the flirty distractions of female company. Unlike some women I had known in my life I did not feel the need to be a part of every single thing in this Imperial world. Men needed their secrets just as women needed to have their mysteries. Thrawn, before anyone else could, got and politely pulled my chair for me, offering me his hand as he did so.

“I wish you a pleasant evening, my dear.” He said and the others murmured the same sentiments. He escorted me to the door and very quietly whispered in my ear in Cheunh before I left the room, “I think you and I need to have a little chat before I head back to the Chimaera.” He wasn’t angry, not yet but there was a tension in his words that let me know he wasn’t overly impressed by this evening performance either and that he had questions. All I could do was nod and smile, wish everyone a good evening and then leave.

I was tired, tense and more than happy to escape the testosterone filled room. The conversational fencing and Ged’s earlier sudden declaration of open hunting season on my affections had left me restless as well as on edge. Despite what Ged might think, Thrawn’s instincts were well honed when it came to me and my moods and the strange tension which had manifested several times through out the dinner had alerted him to something going on, the fact he felt we needed to talk only jammed this home further. He would eventually come and look for me to explain and that was a moment in time I hoped to avoid for as long as I could so I decided to try and relax with a nice hot bath, a glass of brandy from the bottle I kept with me. The hot water and the fine brandy helped to ease some of the tension that had settled in my shoulders. By the time I was done soaking I reckoned that the dinner must also be over and sooner rather than later Thrawn would show up.

The delicate Lie 2

The small, lesser used hanger bay where the Ahnkeli’Su’udelma was docked was deserted and very quiet. I glanced at the chrono on the far wall and sighed. It was late and I hadn’t even noticed the time slip away. Despite Thrawn’s assurances that my ship had been well looked after on Nirauan I wasn’t taking any chances and had spent much of the day into the early evening making certain she was in top condition. I was in the engine room when I felt a presence and heard a soft knock against the bulkhead by the hatchway.

“Permission to come aboard?” Ged asked stepping into the small space as I nodded. “I cannot believe you’re willing to fly anywhere in that bucket of bolts.”

“Don’t be insulting my ship. This bucket of bolts has teeth.” I replied wiping the grease off my hands with a rag.

“Really? I didn’t think these things still flew, to be honest.”

“When I was given her she was outfitted with all the best equipment. She may look like a wreck on the outside but she’s got it where it counts.” I smiled, “I’m not sure how many are still running but this one is in good shape, if it wasn’t Thrawn would never let me fly it.”

Ged raised an eyebrow. “Oh really? I was under the impression that telling you to do something was a lot like trying to herd wild kimas.” He stepped over the open tool box to look down at the engine.

“Ha very ha.” I replied. “Is there a reason for this visit or did you just come all the way down here to harass me about my ship?”

“Actually I came to invite you to have dinner with me, the Grand Admiral and the captains of both our flag ships but if you’d rather play with your toy here….” He let his sentence trail off, glancing around my ship.

“I thought Thrawn had returned to the Chimera.” I said not masking my surprise or delight.

“Our debriefing session went on far longer than planned and we’ve decided to stage more drills rather than rush into anything. He, along with his fleet, will remain here for another two days, standard time.”

I couldn’t help my smile and it did not go unnoticed. For a second our eyes met and something sparked between us making my heart skip a little beat. As though someone had sent a small jolt of electricity through me.

It puzzled me, this sensation because I was not in love with Ged Larsen and I certainly had no plans to change my current love life situation, but never the less….there was something there and I did my best to ignore it. I looked away, breaking the contact as well as the moment and made sure there was a little more distance between us. This also did not go unnoticed. The silence seemed suddenly heavy and oppressive.

“Merlyn,” Ged said after a too long a pause, “may I ask you something personal?”

I nodded cautiously, not liking the sudden seriousness of his mood. “Sure, I guess.”

“You’re close to Thrawn. It’s more than just a working relationship, I mean.”

I nodded but didn’t elaborate.

“Just so we’re clear, you and he are lovers.”

“Yes.” I said quickly.

“Why did you never mention the exact nature of your relationship with him to me?”

I drew a deep breath and frowned. “You’ve never asked about it until now.” I said honestly.

“Well, I’m asking about it now. Why have you never said anything before?”

I shrugged, “We got so used to keeping it very private that I never think about it any other way. Under the rule of Palpatine it was forbidden for an Imperial officer to fraternise with members of the Palace staff. Shouting about it from the palace rooftops would not have been a smart thing to do.”

“That did not seem to stop you from having an affair with him though.”

I frowned. “Well it was something Palpatine encouraged, actually, unofficially of course. I think he saw it as some sort of grand experiment, what would happen to his brilliant alien tactician if he fell for a lowly office girl from Tatooine.”

“And what did happen?”

“Palpatine used the relationship as part of an excuse to have Thrawn exiled to the Unknown Regions. It was an ugly thing.”

He nodded, letting me know that he had heard about that particular incident. “So, when I first met you at the reception for Thrawn’s induction into the canted Circle, were you and he together then?”

I smiled at the memory of that day. “Yes.”

“He was the reason you wouldn’t go out to dinner with me?” He said slowly, also remembering that day.

Once again we stared at each other and the air between us shimmered. “Ye..e..es.” I said slowly.

Ged shook his head. “I pride myself on being able to read people really well but I have to admit I never saw that you and the Grand Admiral were an item. I thought you were hung up on that blond haired palace fop you spent the rest of the event talking to.”

“Shiv? You mean Siavaan?” I asked in disbelief relieved to talk about somebody other than Thrawn. “Good grief no! Shiv’s just one of my best friends.” I laughed at the very thought.

“He seemed very close to you.” Ged pressed.

“Well, he is close to me. He was being protective.” I said, nodding. “He thinks he’s my big brother. I love him dearly but we’re just friends, really.”

“So, if I may ask, how long have you and the Grand Admiral been together?”

I stopped to think about this. “I’ve known him for about as long as I’ve worked for the Empire,” I paused to do some mental math, “But actually together-together…probably around eight or so years I guess.”

Ged did not bother to hide his surprise. “Really?”

“Mmm, really.” I said, “To be honest it surprises me that you’re so shocked; I mean the tabloids were full of stories about us, people knew or at least I think they did. I assumed you knew.”

“I don’t read that nonsense and I don’t pay much attention to the gossip mongers either.” He shrugged. “I assumed the rumours were false, especially since it seemed the entire Core was trying to find some sort of story to tell about the Emperor’s pet alien.” He paused, “And how would I know? I’ve seen you two together, what, twice and both times, while you appeared to have a decent working relationship I would never have said you were anything more than simply colleagues who got along. You both hide it very well.”

There was an edge to his voice I wasn’t sure how to decipher. “Why are you asking this Ged?”

“I like to know how things stand before I put my foot in it and say, ask you out on a real date… again.”

I looked at him steadily for a moment. “Is that the sort of thing you are likely to do… again?”

He smiled in a decidedly feral manner. “You are a lovely young woman, smart, well read and incredibly talented. You are force sensitive which is something quiet rare, you seem to understand me and you are a civilian, so therefore not within the realm of business mixing with pleasure. Yes, asking you out had occurred to me many times, especially in the last few weeks.”

“So what stopped you?” The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them.

He gave me another smile, “I couldn’t put my finger on it exactly, even though it was quite obvious you find me attractive and you enjoy my company, there was always a bit of a distance. I thought it was because you were shy or perhaps intimidated but …..”

“Well now you have a more concrete answer.” I shrugged ignoring his last statement.

“Ah well you did not exactly hide your feelings very well this morning when you burst into my ready room half dressed.” He replied. “You saw the Grand Admiral and your entire face lit up like a star going Nova.”

I narrowed my eyes at him, “And the reason for me being half dressed in my night clothes was the command to come to your office right away.” I hissed, ignoring his description of my expression.

“I enjoy watching you flit through my ship looking like some Nubian fey.” He smirked, teasing me. Something he did more frequently than when I had first come on board. “And your delight at seeing the Grand Admiral did not go unnoticed but it was the first time I’ve really paid attention to it. I just assumed you and he were friends.”

I shrugged. “I try to keep my feelings private; usually I do a better job.”

“Well I know you better now than I did before so I can read your expression and body language better as well.” He replied softly. “As I said I just wanted to know the lay of the land so to speak and not embarrass myself in front of my superior officer during dinner this evening.”

I laughed. “I hardly think you’d do that.”

He shrugged with a boyish grin which I found charming, “There is always a first time.” He said then added, “Does Pellaeon know about you two?”

“I doubt it. Thrawn has made sure to keep me well away from the Chimera and her crew. He’d never discuss his private life with junior officers unless he considered them very close personal friends and I don’t think he’s anywhere near that stage with Captain Pellaeon or his crew.”

“Then I shall refrain from making obnoxious innuendos at dinner. Do you think you can be cleaned and ready to join us in say, an hour?” He asked, “While I find the pit monkey look endearing it’s not exactly the appropriate dining at the Admiral’s table wear.”

“Well I am sure I can find something suitable as long as it’s not too formal.”

Ged shrugged, “Well, it will be as formal as it gets for spur of the moment.”

“And here I thought engine grease was the height of fashion.” I grinned and once again our eyes caught and another spear of something unwanted shot through my body. He stepped towards me and I edged back as nonchalantly as I could. “I need to finish here if you really want me to dine with you all.” I said.

Ged smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Merlyn, this mission he has you going on….”

I cut him off. “It isn’t dangerous if that’s what you’re asking me.” I drew a deep breath and looked at him.

He glanced around my ship and made a face, “If you need anything for this tub, the Quartermaster knows to give you what ever you ask for, within reason.”

I nodded. “Thanks.”

“Dinner is at twenty hundred hours, so try not to be late.” He said turning to leave but then he paused. “I know you say you’ve been with the Grand Admiral for a while now but you might want to let him know he should not take you for granted, that he has competition for your affections.”

I just stared at him for a moment not sure how to take this unexpected statement then nodded. “Maybe you should tell him that yourself, Ged.” I said softly.

He seemed to consider this and then without warning he strode back to where I stood and before I could stop him he cupped my face with his hands and kissed me as though we were lovers starving for one another and without even thinking about it I kissed him back. Through the force I could feel his passion, his desire and something else I could not decipher, it left me breathless and shaken but before I could come to my senses and shove him away he stopped, pulling back to stare at me intently. There was a long heavy, silence broken only by the sound of my heart which pounded in my ears.

“No, sweetheart, I think that you should be the one to tell him. I am not the one with conflicted emotions. I know exactly what I want.” He said very softly.

“My emotions are not conflicted!” I snapped.

Ged’s only answer was a slight smile which tugged at the corner of his lips. For a moment I thought he was going to try and kiss me again so I put my hand up in a stop gesture then tucked it quickly behind my back when I noticed that it was shaking.

“Please do not ever do that again.” I said very quietly.

“Why not? Are you afraid you might enjoy it too much? Because I know you enjoyed that, I could feel it. You think you can hide everything you feel from me but that simply isn’t the case with many things. You’re like an open book most days and believe me when I say this, you’re interested. Why else would you want to spend so much of your spare time with me? So stop pretending otherwise.” He leaned into me and whispered in my ear, his breath warm against the skin of my neck. He smelled good and the thought made me feel guilty.

I shut my eyes tightly, willing the world to get back to normal. Part of me wanted to slap him but I held back because a very tiny part of me wondered if he was right, as kisses went it had not been unpleasant. However, I was never going to let him know that. “No because if you do that again I will hurt you. Ask Thrawn about what happened to Grand Admiral Zaarin when he tried the same thing with me. ” I stepped back from him wondering what had brought this on because up until now we had been just friends, at least that is what I thought. I had completely missed any signals indicating otherwise. “You joked to Thrawn that his spending time with me would make me less difficult…I don’t get why you suddenly….”

He held up his hand. “What I said was ‘Perhaps if you spend some more time with her while you are here and discuss this job you have for her it will make her less difficult to work with as she seems to miss working for you and I have very little to offer such a smart young woman.’” He said. “I meant that you don’t seem to be particularly challenged by any of the tasks I set you and that maybe he had found something for you to other than be here on my ship without a real reason to be other than to act as his spy.”

I scowled at him. “I am not his spy!” I snapped resenting this. “The reason I am here is because he wanted me out of harm’s way but at the same time thought I might be of use.”

“So that’s the truth. He sent you here because he wanted to keep you safe?” Ged asked in disbelief. “What does he think I am a glorified babysitter for his mistress?”

“I can actually look after myself!” I shot back, now fully angry, “How dare you….”

“What do you see in him Merlyn?” He asked suddenly, cutting me off mid-sentence. I held my breath waiting for him tell me Thrawn wasn’t human so that I could bite his head off about being xenophobic but that was not the case. “Really, he’s old enough to be your father, he’s never around and he’s about as emotional as a dead bantha.” Ged’s words came out angry, almost petulant.

“Age has nothing to do with it nor for that matter does race, colour or creed. You don’t know him, you have no idea. All you see is the Imperial façade he’s been putting on for years. Just because he doesn’t show what he feels doesn’t mean he doesn’t have emotions or that he never shows them. You have no idea of what he is capable of! ” I shot back, now that the shock had dwindled and the adrenalin had receded only anger and uncertainty were left in their place. I seemed to have a thing for older men but I didn’t say this out loud.

Ged just stared at me. Then he leaned in to kiss me again and I seemed to watch it all unfold in slow motion. When his lips brushed against mine I felt as though my entire world had suddenly tilted sideways upending everything I knew to be good and true. This time instead of kissing him back, as my body wanted me to do, I moved my head aside and looked away from his face. “Why the hell did you do that? I told you to stop!”

“I wanted to see if I was right.”

“About what?”

“About you.” He said quietly, brushing a lock of hair away from my face with his forefinger.

I swallowed. “And your conclusion?” I asked pushing his hand away.

“I’ll leave that up to you to figure out.” He said stroking my face with his finger tips.

I pulled back from his touch, shaking. “Admiral, I think you should leave now.”

He just smiled. “Dinner, my private dining room in half an hour, do not be late. That is an order.” He said and then he left.

Shaking from the inside out, I slid down to sit on the floor wondering what the hell had prompted this turn of events. I wracked my brains trying to remember if I had done or said anything to allow Ged to believe I was free for the taking.

My first week on board his ship had been strange, tense especially after the dinner where he had all but interrogated me on my reasons for being there. He had been deeply suspicious of Thrawn’s reasoning and had called me on the whole Emperor’s hand thing.

“Miss Gabriel,” He had said after a very lengthy silence, “You and I both know you were never one of Palpatine’s agents so cut the crap will you and tell me what you are really doing here?”

I had given him the answer Thrawn had told me to, which was that I was there working as a liaison between the two fleets, nothing more and nothing less and that if he didn’t like it he could take it up with the Grand Admiral. Needless to say it had been a somewhat terse and awkward meal and I was more than happy to be shown to my quarters and leave Ged alone to his thoughts.

For the rest of the week he had completely ignored me and with nothing else to do, as well as no access to any place other than the public areas on his ship I had spent much of my time either in my quarters reading or in the small exercise room working out my demons. I didn’t dare contact Thrawn and complain and since I didn’t have my own ship I couldn’t just leave. Things had changed, though, when he had found me, very late one night, running through my bunduki forms.

“I was not aware that you were trained, formally trained in this martial art form.” He had said watching me from the doorway.

I had ignored his comment because I was angry with him and had kept on practicing as if he were not there at all.

“The Emperor once told me that you would have made a great candidate for his adept training programme had it not been for your stubborn, wilful nature which had you so bound up with Vader. I start to understand what he meant.”

I had stopped what I was doing to stare at him. “You talked with the Emperor about me?” I had asked surprised.

“No, he mentioned you because he saw us speaking together at the Canted Circle ceremony.” He had replied.

I had just nodded and begun a series of stretches to cool down.

“Merlyn, look, I’m sorry if I offended you but you must understand a man in my position cannot take chances on …well you could very well be a rebel spy.”

I had just glared at him then turned my back on him. “The last person who accused me of being a traitor died.” I had said flatly.

“I am not accusing you of anything but I wanted to make certain you are who you say you are. It’s been my experience that the rebels are very clever when it comes to infiltrating and information gathering.”

“Well, Admiral, let me put you at ease I am not now nor was I ever aligned with the Rebel Alliance. I am exactly what Thrawn says I am, a civilian pilot who once worked as Lord Vader’s personal assistant. I sometimes work as a mechanic when I am needed, I occasional do some translation work for him and fly on delivery runs for him when he wishes to go someplace in a non military capacity. Sometimes I act as a courier and occasionally, like now, I am asked to do some liaison work between fleets. You are quite right when you say I am not an Emperor’s Hand, that is a lie but a necessary one to keep people who would normally ask questions from doing so. So if you would do me the kindness of contacting the Grand Admiral and letting him know the current situation so that either he or you can arrange passage off this ship for me I would be most grateful.”

“Actually, I already have and he indicated to me that while my caution was admirable it was also not necessary and that I was being foolish to throw away your talents.” He replied. “While he was polite about it the underlying command for me to deal with you and the situation was there. No matter what, he is my superior officer and his orders will be obeyed.”

I had glanced up. “What talents would they be?” I had asked snarkily.

“He did not elaborate and I did not argue the point.” He had replied. “Look, as I said before I wanted to make sure you were who you said you were and it seems that my worries were unfounded. I apologise for the treatment you have received and would like to try and make it up to you, if I may?”

I knew a peace offering when I saw it and I had also known in this case it would only ever be given once and if I wanted to actually enjoy my time on board the Virulent then I had damned well better take it so I had nodded. “Apology accepted Admiral.”

“Please, call me Ged, seeing as how you are not actually a member of the Imperial navy I see no reason why we cannot be informal at least in private.”

And that had been the start of what slowly blossomed into a very pleasant friendship, or so I thought. Over the weeks that had followed we had spent a lot of time talking in private, sharing stories about our various experiences during the Emperor’s rule and eventually talking about what it meant to be a force user, especially one that Palpatine had taken an interest in. It turned out that we actually had a lot in common, including a love of Jeb Holloway books.

I had been given a small office space and computer access. Ged had also allowed me to work in the mechanic’s pit because I had begged for something other than mindless paperwork to do. I got used to meeting him for a ‘caf in the mornings and then we began to share supper together more often than not when he had time. So when, I wondered, had this turned into more than just a decent working friendship without me noticing?

There had been an evening two weeks prior to Thrawn’s arrival when after dinner we had moved to the living area of his quarters, sat on the couch and shared a particularly good brandy. The conversation had been funny and warm and above all comfortable but I could not recall there being any more to it. I had not gotten drunk and there had been no physical tell tale signs that I had actually noticed to say he was remotely interested in me, but when I thought back I saw I had been wrong. I shook my head in disbelief at how I could have missed these signs, the mimicking of body language, the slightly too long held gazes, his utter attentiveness and the occasional contact when he would touch my hand or shoulder to emphasis a point he was making. What was worse was I hadn’t backed away from this, I had enjoyed his attention. It had been nice, almost normal.

I sighed and banged my head against the bulkhead of my ship in frustration. I had not thought about this because it had not occurred to me that any other man might find me attractive let alone act on the desire. In my head I was so utterly Thrawn’s that I automatically expected the entire galaxy to know this, but that was not the case. As Ged had pointed out, it was something that had been kept well hidden. How could he or anyone else be excepted to simply know? I had been an idiot.

All this time he had interpreted my actions as interest in him and there had been no reason for him to think otherwise. I drew a deep breath remembering the sheer thrill that had accompanied the anger and surprise of his sudden and not so subtle kiss. My experiences with men over the years had not been the best, when they were not trying to rape me they were trying to kill me. It wasn’t as if I had ever had a lot of experience with male attention that was positive, with the exception of Thrawn. So few had ever really made any sort of positive play for my affections that I didn’t actually recognize it for what it was and I had been with Thrawn for so long it had never occurred to me to even consider anyone else but I had to admit I liked Ged. What I didn’t want to admit was my body had also liked what he had done and I certainly didn’t like the guilt that flooded me when I thought about this.

I sighed and looked at the chrono. I had fifteen minutes to get dressed so that I could sit through a dinner which I knew would be uncomfortable and awkward for me. Suddenly frustrated beyond all belief I threw the spanner in my hand across the room and swore loudly. Then because I didn’t really have a choice I got up and headed to my quarters to get cleaned up so that I could sit between two men who both had the capacity, it seemed, to make my heart race.

The delicate Lie 1

I stifled a groan as the alarm klaxon shrieked through the air of my quarters waking me up from a deep and dreamless sleep. With a curse that would have made Thrawn blush I glanced at the chronometer and then grabbed my pillow bunching it around my head, trying to block out the noise. It was four am, Coruscant standard time. Even with my pillow shoved as hard as I could around my head the alarm still made its way into my brain, shredding any hope I had of getting back to sleep to bits. For the past six weeks Admiral Ged Larsen had been running battle drills on his ISD, to keep his men in top form he had told me. This was fine if one were a crew member on board and had a specific job to jump up and run to, all pumped up on adrenalin, but for me it was just an annoyance that kept waking me up at inopportune times. I was starting to hate him for his perfectionism and Thrawn for sending me here in the first place.

Ged ran a tight ship and his crew both respected and feared him, there was tension here that reminded a little of the tension on any ship that Lord Vader showed up on. I didn’t think that Ged ran around force choking any one who disobeyed him but I was betting the punishment for not following orders and screwing up were both swift and severe. This was the Imperial navy and failure was not an option, especially now with the stakes so high. He ran drills constantly, at odd hours for unpredictable events and attacks. I couldn’t decide if the man was trying to impress Thrawn or if he was really just nuts either way it didn’t make my time here fun.

Just as the klaxon stopped wailing a banging on the door of my quarters coaxed me out of bed. I grabbed my robe and had it wrapped around me as I opened the door.

“What?” I growled. I had long since given up being polite, especially as no one expected it of me anyway.

“Admiral Larsen requests your presence on the command deck in his briefing room.” Replied the young man without giving any thoughts away.

I rolled my eyes and stepped back, “Fine, I’ll be there as soon as I’ve dressed.”

“I was told that you were to come immediately, ma’am.” He said calmly.

I made an impatient gesture with my hand. “Very well then, lead on.” I sighed.

If anyone found it utterly unusual to see me having to trot, barefoot and in my night clothes, after the swiftly moving young officer they wisely kept their mouths shut. It was not the first time this had happened. By the time we arrived at Ged’s briefing room, my feet were cold and my mood was about as foul as it could possibly be. I slipped into the dimly lit room and barely waited for the door to shut behind me before giving Ged a piece of my mind.

“Ged, what the hell is so important that it couldn’t wait five minutes for me to get dressed?”

“I see the last few weeks have not curbed your temper any.” A voice that was like dark brushed velvet, which always made my heart speed, up spoke from the dark corner of the room. “I did tell you she does not like to be woken up or summoned in this manner.” Thrawn said to Ged, who was watching my reaction with a smirk.

I looked from one man to the other then back again and shook my head and went to the side board to pour myself some stimcaf from the carafe that Ged always kept there. I was thrilled to see Thrawn but I didn’t dare show it, at least not how I really wanted to so I kept up the pretence of being annoyed even though really I was more delighted, as well as curious. I leaned back against the sideboard and sipped at the ‘caf slowly.

“So,” I said glancing at each man in turn over the rim of my cup, “I’ll ask again what was so important that it couldn’t wait for me to get dressed?”

“I think I will let the Grand Admiral brief you Miss Gabriel. In the meant time I’ll be on the bridge if either of you require anything.” He said, giving Thrawn a salute which was promptly returned. He brushed past me as he left the room and whispered in my ear, “Don’t be too hard on him, Merlyn, it was actually my idea to get you up, I know how much you enjoy surprises.” I just rolled my eyes and Ged chuckled as he went out of the room leaving silence in his wake.

The silence in the room settled into something both familiar and tense all at the same time. In the last six weeks I had come to think of Ged Larsen as a friend, despite the mutual mistrust we had held for each other at the start of my time on board his ship. I suppose part of it was the force gifts we each had. It wasn’t easy to meet people who truly understood what being a force user meant, especially someone who understood what life must have been like working under the Emperor and for Lord Vader. I had found a sort of solace in Ged’s friendship much to my surprise but due to the current non communication circumstances, I assumed Thrawn knew nothing about this. I sipped at the caf without tasting it and watched his face carefully.

An eyebrow arched as he walked towards me, “I see you’ve settled in well.”

I smiled and shrugged. “I adapt to the circumstances handed me. You wanted me out of the way and safe which I am but you never said I had to be alone and miserable.” I replied, “Besides, it makes my job easier when I actually get along with my superiors.”

Thrawn smiled and stopped a few centimetres shy of where I was standing, stroking the side of my face with his fingertips. “Is he aware of the exact nature of our relationship?”

I followed the motion of his hand with my face, closing my eyes at the tenderness of his touch. “Not in so many words but he’s not stupid. Outside of official business we don’t actually discuss you all that much but I am certain he sees my reaction to your name. He’s a force user who was trained by the Emperor. I don’t need to tell him what is probably very obvious to his eyes.”

“I see.” He said shifting away from me slightly.

“If you’re concerned about…” I started but an abrupt gesture from his hand quelled any more words from my mouth.

“I do not worry on that account, Tekari.” He said.

I nodded slowly then after a moment’s silence said, “I did not expect you for another two weeks.”

“Yes, I know but something came up that required I speak to Larsen face to face.”

“I see.” I sighed and sipped the remains of the now cool ‘caf. “Well that explains the battle drill then, but it doesn’t explain why I got hauled out of bed at four am.”

Thrawn smiled slowly. “Perhaps I just wished to see you. My time here is quite short, I requested your presence but it was a misinterpretation of the young man sent to fetch you which led to you running around in your night clothes, though, my dear, you should be used to that by now from your time working under Lord Vader.”

“Well, you’ve seen me.” I said far more tartly than I meant to. There was something he wasn’t telling me. “How long are you here for?”

“No more than forty-eight hours, I have … issues of my own to deal with onboard the Chimera.”

“Issues?”

He nodded slightly and suddenly I saw the weariness on his face which he had worked very hard to hide from both Ged and myself. “The Chimera has a young, fairly untried crew and I am having certain renovations done to parts of the ship. There are not many experienced officers on board to help teach the somewhat green crew how to do things in the appropriate Imperial manner. We run simulations and battle drills as well as some real engagements but training a crew of this magnitude in so short a time is a difficult process. Most of the bridge crew are younger than you and many have never seen real combat before. Pellaeon works them as hard as he can but it takes time and experience to make a seasoned crew. I, unfortunately, have neither.”

I digested this bit of news and nodded. “So you and Ged are running simulations then, one fleet against the other.”

He nodded. “It seemed a viable solution to one of the issues at hand.”

“Ged’s big on battle simulation drills.” I said making a face. “This isn’t the first time I’ve been woken up at some hellishly early hour of the day this week.”

Thrawn laughed and the sound warmed my soul. I had missed him much more than I ever dared to allow myself to admit. I guess it showed on my face because he gathered me in his arms and just held me close. “Forgive me for getting you up then but I wanted to see you.” He said quietly into my hair, “I wanted to make sure you were well.”

I just nodded in to his chest. “You’re forgiven.” I said with a yawn.

“I have some work for you if you would be interested but we can discuss that later.” He said, pushing back from me.

The moment between us passed and I nodded. “I figured as much. I will be happy to do something that doesn’t involve office work.”

“Office work?”

“Ged thought I should make myself useful while I was here and he asked if I would act as his personal assistant, so I’ve been doing office work for him. It’s a lot less exciting here than it was with Lord Vader but it does keep me busy.”

“It’s also probably a lot less dangerous than working for Vader was.” He said.

“So far no one has died.” I retorted. “Are you planning on any more battle drills tonight or can I go back to bed?”

Thrawn arched his eyebrow and smirked. “As far as I know that was it for the evening but Admiral Larsen and I are running these drills concurrent to each other and we don’t divulge when they take place so….” He gave me a slight shrug.

“So in other words chances are good that because both fleets are here there will be more than two a night?”

“He’s done two in one night?”

“Seven is the record.” I said. “He runs a tight ship.”

Thrawn arched an eyebrow, “Indeed, seven?”

“Yes.” I said.

“And did these drills accomplish anything?”

“You mean aside from making everyone tired and not boosting moral, yes the efficiency rate went up on the battle ready times. Ged made his point and achieved his goal.” I said with a shrug, remembering the very heated discussion I had had with him about it all. “He’s a perfectionist and his people both respect and fear him, but they love him too and they’d die for him is he asked.”

“As it should be.” He replied.

I glanced up at him, wondering how it was on the Chimaera, if the men and women serving on board that ship would lay down their lives for Thrawn or if there was still the issue of his being an alien to make things difficult. “So what is on your agenda for the rest of what’s left of this watch?” I asked glancing at the chrono on the wall, it was nearly five in the morning.

“I have a debriefing session with Captains Pellaeon and Morrish about the Virulent’s and the Chimaera’s performance on this last drill and then I should get some rest, why?”

“When did you wish to discuss this job you have for me then?” I asked.

His smile was slow. “If you wish I can discuss it with you later, perhaps over an early breakfast?”

“Is that allowed?”

“I outrank Larsen and I am sure he won’t object. After all, my dear, you are here at my discretion.” He replied airily.

I sighed. “Fine, I will talk to you later then. I need to get some sleep.”

He nodded. “Let Larsen know we’re done in here. I should be finished in a few hours so expect me at around oh-seven hundred hours.”

I left the ready room and made sure that Ged knew then headed back to my own quarters. I lay down hoping to get at least an hour or so sleep but it wasn’t happening so instead I had a bath, got dressed and made a cup of tea. I was in the middle of reading a book when the door chime rang, making my heart leap as well as me nearly spilling what was left of my tea.

Thrawn smiled as he walked into my quarters, looked at the cup in my hand and said, “Is there any more of that?” Then he sat down on the small sofa and watched as I busied myself with making a new pot of tea.

Only after I had finished, brought over tea things to the table, poured him a cup and then sat down beside him did he break his silence.

“I want you to go to Obroa-Skai.” He said quietly.

I just blinked at him for a second, digesting this and then said. “When and why?”

“As soon as possible. I need you to obtain access codes for the main frame so that we can sweep their data banks.”

I sighed into my tea. “This is a make work project, you have slicers far more capable of this than I am.”

“I do but I need them on board my ship and you, my dear, have a talent for slipping in and out of places without attracting too much attention. All I need is an access code into the system, after that the rest of the job will be easy.”

“Still can’t find Wayland, huh.” I shot.

A flicker of annoyance danced briefly across his features. “No and you are not to go looking for it either.”

“Why not?” I asked crossly, this argument now so familiar to me that I could dance it in my sleep.

Thrawn sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was tired and for the first time he did not give me the standard keeping me safe answer. “I have been led to believe that the facility is protected by a Dark Jedi Master.”

“How did you…?” Thrawn raised his hand slightly and I shut up.

“I have been doing an inordinate amount of research on this mythical place, Tekari. Everything I have discovered so far, which isn’t as much as I would like, has led me to believe that the Emperor had the place guarded by force users specifically trained in the darker nature of this power. You would be no match for such a creature would you?”

I bit my lip wanting to bravado through the answer and say yes but my experiences with the Emperor and Lord Vader had left me with enough wits to know Thrawn was right. “No, I couldn’t beat a dark jedi master, an apprentice maybe but not a master.”

He reached over and caressed the side of my face with the backs of his fingers. “So now do you understand why I would very much like you to stay away from Wayland? If a dark jedi master found you….”

“I get the picture.” I said softly. “I have no wish to be trained in the dark arts, especially not by one of the Emperor’s minions. How exactly are you planning on getting past such a creature? You don’t have any defences against a force user.”

Thrawn gave me a wry smile. “You have already long ago provided the answer to that, my dear.”

I raised both eyebrows at him, “I have?”

“Yes.” He said setting his cup down on the table.

“How am I supposed to go to Obroa-Skai? Ged doesn’t have a civilian ship in his fleet and the Obroans did not side with the Empire, they will not trust someone arriving in an Imperial ship.”

“I had your ship brought here. I brought it on board when I arrived.” He said smugly. “It was part of the training event Ged and I planned.”

“You used my ship in a training mission?”

“I did, she was unharmed I assure you. I am quite a decent pilot when I need to be.” He teased. “it was necessary to get your ship on board without raising too many questions.”

“And once I get there I am just supposed to ask for access codes to the mainframe?”

“No, just access to the archives, once we have one access code, even if it is a public one we’ll be able to do the rest. It is a simple plan, Tekari. You are a civilian and there will be no reason to refuse you access especially if you are searching for something innocuous. A’myshk’a, you’re a smart woman, you’ll figure something out.”

I made a face and went to pour more tea but he placed his hand over mine, stopping me. “My time here with you is limited; I think we have better things to do than sip tea.”

I arched an eyebrow. “You’re getting risqué in your old age.” I teased, a little surprised. “You usually do not like to mix pleasure with work.”

“True enough, but perhaps, my dear, I just miss you and chances such as this will be extremely far and few between.” He said. “Admiral Larsen, it seems, is aware of the nature of your relationship with me and commented that perhaps it might make you a little less, how did he put it, difficult to work with if I spent some time with you.”

“Ged doesn’t really miss much.”

“He likes you.”

“Everybody likes me I’m harmless.” I retorted, pinching his arm.

He smirked. “Only to those who do not share your bed or incur your wrath.”

He was right and our time together, private like this was precious. As he removed his jacket and shirt I stroked the skin of his arm, my fingers tracing the fine wound metal of the binding bracelet he never took off. “So, for a few stolen moments you’re mine?”

“Yes,” He murmured in my ear, starting the process of undressing me.

“And we’ll have time to discuss this little trip of mine afterwards?”

“Yes.”

“Good.” I said, satisfied with this answer I let the rest go and allowed him to remind me why I missed him so much as well as make sure he knew why he should miss me.