boxofmisfits | Field Learning

Entry tags:

Field Learning

Being a Grand Admiral known for having a brilliant tactical mind, it was just a matter of time before Prefsbelt Academy asked him to be a guest speaker. It was Moff Tarkin's old Academy, it seemed. So of course it had high standards when it came to guest lecturers, to say nothing of Thrawn actually knowing the Moff.

It was entirely possible he was the first alien to speak at this academy. Certainly he the first Chiss speaker. Thrawn entered the hall, pose as professional as ever, with good posture and his hands behind his back. He spoke to the students with that cool voice of his, with just enough inflection in his voice as to not be entirely monotone.

He spoke of tactics, strategy, and getting a read on one's enemy and using that against them.

"To defeat an enemy, you must know them. Not simply their battle tactics, but their history, philosophy, art." As he spoke, he brought up holos of artwork of various species, speaking of the cultures the art came from and what it said about them.

All the while he spoke, his eyes gazed out into the crowd of students. Some of them looked quite bored, or that they didn't entirely understand the Grand Admiral's lecture.

At least one of them, though, stood at rapt attention, hanging on to his every word.

When the lecture ended, and the holos vanished, Thrawn addressed the crowd of students, "Questions?"

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Luke had nearly screamed out loud when he found out a Grand Admiral would be lecturing them at some point, at first because he privately dreaded how strictly monitored they would all be. Then he found out which Grand Admiral it was, and he nearly screamed in excitement, much to the chagrin of his best friend. Teak sat beside him as always, of course, but he hardly shared in his enthusiasm, and was sawing logs long before Grand Admiral Thrawn got into the true depth of his lecture. Luke barely heard him, though, hanging on the Grand Admiral's every word as tightly as he was the seat in front of him.

The best part? The professors allowed him to have DV-2 sitting in the aisle nearby, recording the whole lecture so he could play it back again in private.

To likely the surprise of no one, his hand immediately shot up as soon questions were called for. He saw a few of his classmates roll their eyes, and Teak let out a particularly loud snort, but he wasn't paying attention; he was more concerned that his lack of height would make his hand hard to notice. Even when he was called to speak, he was worried that his voice wouldn't carry enough.

Really, when you were the shortest pilot in school, the concern of being able to do anything left it's mark on you.

"Sir, has there ever been a time you were going in blind, when no such information was available to you? And how did you compensate?"

It felt like the best question in his mind, but he did notice a professor or two press an exasperated hand to their forehead, like Luke had missed the entire point of the lecture.

Thrawn gave a slight, almost imperceptible smile at the question. He'd been expecting that student in particular would be interested in asking him questions after he'd finished, since he'd clearly been the most interested in Thrawn's lecture. The Chiss made a mental note about the boy for later.

"An excellent question." Thrawn was rarely in such a position, especially once he'd made rank of Grand Admiral. He was usually always prepared, rarely going in to any situation blind. But 'rarely' wasn't a synonym for 'never'.

"I have been in such a situation, yes. We found ourselves facing a band of marauders, of unknown species and culture, and at the time, I did not have the authority to request information." Something of a reminder that Thrawn had to work his way up the ranks, the same as anyone in the Navy.

"I compensated by taking note of small details. How the marauders spoke to us, to each other, what words they used, what weapons they held, as well as their expressions. Even the smallest detail can give something away about your opponent. From there, it was a simple matter to outsmart and capture them."

The professors seemed to relax, as if they were thinking, "Good, the weirdo child didn't get on the Grand Admiral's nerves." Of course that thought was dashed the moment Luke's hand shot up again.

"Sir, what about an individual or group that's been strongly influenced by a number of different cultures?" he asked. "Wouldn't that make it difficult to form a strategy, given the mix of backgrounds?"

He caught a few people giving him looks. He stubbornly ignored it, keeping his focus on Thrawn.

Thrawn was beginning to like this young man.

He ignored the looks from the professors, keeping his attention entirely on the student. Thrawn wouldn't have asked if anyone had questions if he had no intention to answer them. Did these professors not want their students to become independent thinkers? It also wasn't hard to notice that his friend wasn't nearly as interested in Thrawn's words.

"You raise another good point," His hand went to his chin in thought. "Indeed, that may make it difficult to predict your foe's strategy and weaknesses. In which case, you look at that mixed background, study both cultures, and prepare for multiple outcomes. It may also be best to simply learn as much about the individual as one can."

A warrior didn't just prepare one plan and hope it worked out, after all.

"Regarding groups, say a pirate band is made up of many species. They may come from different backgrounds and cultures, but there is a high probability that they may have a commonality with one another, and that is what you exploit."

Luke mulled that over, really mulled it over. Now that he mentioned it, Rodians and Weequays were often found working together in pirate bands, and while the two aliens couldn't be any more different from each other, they still seemed to compliment each other as well. His face lit up at the realization, about to ask another question, when he caught the look of another professor giving him a sharp look, and the equally sharp shake of their head was a clear indication of let someone else ask questions. Luke wanted to ask anyway, just to be contrary, but he felt a hand grab the back of his uniform, tugging him back down to his seat.

"You're being loud again, Wormie," Teak muttered, still sounding like he was half asleep. Luke pouted at that detested nickname, before reluctantly settling back, hoping someone would ask what he wanted to ask.

Even someone without Thrawn's observational skills could see that Luke had more questions on his mind. His face held a neutral expression, just gazing up as the student took his seat again, at the urging of his bored friend and the professors who no doubt thought he would annoy Thrawn.

Another student had a question about how Thrawn was able to determine so much just from looking at art, to which he replied, "It is simply a matter of extensive study and research, and taking in all the finer details of the pieces."

Taking another question, this time about how many bad guys he'd killed in his career, Thrawn simply stated, "Not as many as you'd imagine." That got a few disappointed groans.

"I believe we have time for one more question." His eyes went directly to Luke again.

Luke saw that the Grand Admiral was looking right at him, and he very nearly jumped straight out of his seat. He held himself back a moment, though, making sure no one else was going to raise their hand, before his shot up in the air again. Teak exaggerated rolling his eyes as he stood once more.

"Has there ever been anyone you haven't been able to get a read on?"

His thoughts, of course, we're going to the man that had taken him from Tatooine to this school, who still towered over him in his memories and whose voice he still knew well, from the many times he had called in to check up on him over the years. He hadn't seen Darth Vader in the time since, but he wondered if anyone could tell what he was thinking beyond that mask of his.

"Yes," Thrawn stated. "There was one such man. Darth Vader."

A few whispers went through the room. Some of them expressed shock that the Grand Admiral had actually met Darth Vader, and that Thrawn admitted the Sith Lord was just as much of an enigma to him as he was to everybody.

"I met Darth Vader upon my promotion to Grand Admiral. We did not speak long, and in that short time we'd met, I found that he was a man who kept himself carefully guarded."

The mask obviously obscured his face, meaning Thrawn couldn't get a read that way, but the way he held himself only told Thrawn that he was a proud man. But Thrawn couldn't tell how Vader would react to a given situation, or predict his actions.

Guarded, hunh... yeah, Luke could understand that, even if he hadn't really experienced that himself. Then again, Lord Vader knew his parents; there was a connection there that the Grand Admiral didn't have. Still, the knowledge that the Lord had actually stumped Trawn had him beaming, desperate to ask more questions, but a quick glance at a professor showed he was pushing his luck, and he sunk back to his seat again.

He was probably going to end up on cleanup duty later, but it was worth it.

Thrawn gave a few final words, "Remember, take your studies seriously, sometimes being unorthodox may get better results, and don't be afraid to ask questions." That last one was said while looking straight at Luke yet again.

Upon dismissal of the students, Thrawn stayed behind as they filed out into the hallway. He waited until Luke was close enough, before addressing him, "Just a moment. If I may have a word with you?"

Thrawn had obviously taken a bit of an interest in him. He'd been the most attentive of the lecture, and Thrawn wished to speak with him without the professors glowering at anyone. Even if said professors likely thought that Thrawn intended to scold Luke.

Luke looked like he could have gone supernova at being asked to stay for a word. He faintly got the sense that Teak was trying not to roll his eyes, murmuring that he would see Luke later, but he was too busy slipping out of line at the Grand Admiral's request, standing at attention. DV-2 slipped out of line as well, staying ever faithfully by his master's side.

"Of course, sir," he replied, managing to keep his tone even, despite his clear excitement.

Thrawn waited for the other students, and the professors, to leave, the latter giving them a few looks that ranged from 'go easy on him' to 'show him his place'. Entirely unnecessary, of course. Thrawn could easily read this student, and see that he was all too eager to have a moment to speak with him in private.

Once it was just himself and the boy, and the droid, Thrawn looked down at him with a soft expression, hands resting behind his back.

"You're a very inquisitive young man," It was a compliment. "I'm afraid I didn't catch your name, though." Obviously 'Wormie' wasn't his name, nor did he like to be called that, judging by his reaction to said name.

"Cadet Luke Skywalker, sir," Luke replied, and was about to say more, before his droid interrupted him, booping in a low, bass tone that had him fighting against a laugh. "And Deevee-to. Thank you for answering my questions before."

Thrawn's eyebrows raised slightly upon hearing the last name. To most, it wouldn't be noteworthy, or even noticeable. But to someone like Thrawn, it conveyed some amount of surprise, possibly even a little shock.

The eyebrows lowered just as quickly, and Thrawn replied, "A pleasure, Cadet Skywalker. It was no trouble at all to answer your questions, for is that not how one gains knowledge?"

He was already having a hard time believing Luke could be related to the late General Skywalker. Then again, stranger things had happened.

"Tell me, what are your intentions once you graduate?"

Luke fought against a grin; at least Grand Admiral Thrawn got it.

"Yes sir," he replied. "Though I think my professors find me too inquisitive for my own good."

Shut up and follow orders like a good Imperial soldier; he already got the impression that was all that was expected of cadets and entering soldiers alike, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to find out as much as he could. Yes, he wanted to be a pilot, but he knew who he would be working under. Knowing as much as he could about strategy and tactics, among other things, would make him an invaluable asset.

"I plan to be a pilot, sir," he answered. "I believe I'm set to join Black Squadron as soon as I graduate."

Thrawn had never been a typical Imperial. He encouraged his crew to think independently, to ask questions, and come up with solutions that he might not have seen. He asked for their opinions, when most Admirals would simply tell their crew to silence themselves and follow orders.

As far as Thrawn was concerned, that was a quick route to failure.

"Interesting," Thrawn paused for a moment, in thought. The Chimaera could always use pilots, especially with his upcoming project. It would be a simple matter to simply request that Luke be assigned to his ship, instead.

"Do you consider yourself a good pilot?"

The question was an honest one, but also a matter of gauging the way Luke would respond.

The enthusiasm never left Luke's face, but there was a seriousness to his eyes that made him seem almost older than he really was.

"I've always been a pilot, sir," he answered. "I'll prove whether I'm good or not when I see my first live combat."

He knew he had the best scores in the sims; better than any pilot that had been to Prefsbelt or any Academy for that matter. But that would mean nothing if he ended up choking in his first battle.

Thrawn would have to take a look at Luke's records, and statistics, later, once he had a moment to access those records. Luke was obviously a good student, and he would make a find addition to Thrawn's crew.

Luke wasn't as arrogant as most pilots Thrawn had known. Sometimes they had good reason for that arrogance, yes. But Luke's lack of it was rather refreshing.

"Yes, the flight simulators can only teach one so much."

"Exactly," Luke replied, before he paused a moment, frowning to himself. "Sir, if you wouldn't mind humoring me with one more question? How did you come to realize that studying a person beyond their battle tactics was the best way to analyze them?"

"I have always had an interest in artwork, and other cultures that art represented," Thrawn replied. "It gave way to a theory I had, that art said many things about a culture, or an individual. I was allowed to test that theory when I was still with my kind, and it proved successful. Further experiments yielded similar results. Battle tactics only tell you one aspect of a culture or individual."

Thrawn checked his chrono for a moment. Much as he wanted to continue the conversation, no doubt Luke would have somewhere to be. Certainly, Thrawn had things to do. The least of which was stopping by the Academy records office.

"Forgive me, I did not wish to make you potentially late by holding you up."

Oh. Right. Class. That still needed to be a thing. DV booped a low reminder that his next class was with a professor that was watching him, so he really did need to get going. He offered Thrawn another soft smile, before saluting him.

"Thank you again for sharing your wisdom with us, Grand Admiral," he said.

"Think nothing of it, Cadet Skywalker. I must be on my way, myself."

Thrawn returned the salute, seeing Luke out the door before going their separate ways.

With a little time to spend, Thrawn made a detour into the records room, taking a look at Luke's file. Excellent marks, a few notes from professors about being a little too inquisitive, as well as needing to know his place. Overall, nothing that displeased Thrawn. Luke was a very good student.

From there, it was a simple matter of visiting the head of the academy and requesting the Cadet Skywalker be assigned to the Chimaera upon graduation.

Thrawn made sure to mark on his datapad to return to the Academy come graduation day.

Putting in the request to have Luke assigned to the Chimaera was easy. So was getting the almost immediate denial. As it turned out, the young man believed he was set to join Black Squadron for a good reason, as it seemed his patron to the school intended to have him do so...

Said patron being Darth Vader.

"I can grant a field education leave?" the dean of the school offered, as if that would be enough to placate Thrawn. "But I can't overturn Lord Vader's request, not even for a troublemaker student."

"I truly believe Cadet Skywalker would benefit more under my command," Thrawn insisted.

Anyone listening in wouldn't envy the dean, caught between Lord Vader and Grand Admiral Thrawn. Thrawn respected Vader, to a certain extent, but he had no qualms in doing the logical choice and having Luke come with him.

Thrawn also didn't have time to fight a lengthy battle or make a call to a Sith Lord who was notorious for not liking his time being wasted.

"Very well. Tell Cadet Skywalker that he will be spending part of his education on the Chimaera."

The dean looked like he was ready to make a weak attempt at a protest, when Thrawn agreed to the field education. He quickly pulled up the documentation, had what needed to be signed completed, and sent the information on its way.

By the time everything was completed, classes had already let out, and the dean trying to raise Skywalker at his room communicator ended with getting his sleepy eyed friend. He was more awake now, but no less bored looking.

"Luke? Yeah, he grabbed his droid and went off to his not-at-all-a-secret place," the boy replied. "Where does he need to report, sir? I can grab him."

The barest hint of a smile crossed Thrawn's lips as the documentation was finalized. Thrawn was brilliant in a great many things, but politics was not one of them. Surely Lord Vader wouldn't see any problems with allowing Luke to get some experience on a Star Destroyer.

"Tell him to report to the shuttle docking bay." Thrawn informed the boy. "He is to meet me there."

He trusted that Luke wouldn't keep the Grand Admiral waiting.

With that, Thrawn turned around and made his way towards the shuttle bay.

Thrawn was definitely right about that; if Luke hadn't needed to run back to his dorm and pack his things, he probably would have beaten the Grand Admiral there. He came up to him hurriedly not long after Thrawn arrived in the bay, a bag of his belongings slung over his shoulder -- which wasn't much, consisting of a change of clothes, a datapad, and his old T-16 Skyhopper model from Tatooine -- and his droid by his side. He stopped before him, saluting, though he was keeping his excitement in check much better than before.

"Cadet Skywalker reporting, sir," he announced. "I'm sorry, sir, but Teak couldn't tell me if it was all right for my droid to accompany me."

DV let out a low boop, huddling close to Luke's leg, as if to show they were a complete package.

One had to admire Luke's enthusiasm. Not many would appreciate being plucked from their regular schooling to go travel with an alien, even if that alien was a Grand Admiral. Certainly, Luke's friend wouldn't have appreciated it, nor would half the students from the lecture hall earlier.

"Of course your droid may accompany you," Thrawn replied, with just a hint of pleasantry in his voice. "Come."

Waving Cadet Skywalker along, Thrawn stepped inside the shuttle. Once everyone, including Thrawn's Death Trooper escorts, were within, the shuttle took off, back towards the Chimaera.

"Have you any questions before we arrive?"

Luke managed to get himself settled and strapped in, with DV locked down to the deck beside him, but he couldn't help but cast a wary glance at the Death Troopers. He had heard many rumors about them, some of them the stuff of outright nightmares that had kept him awake more than a few nights.

Thrawn's question thankfully pulled his attention away from them, his eyes widening slightly. DV-2 let out a faint boop that almost sounded like, an, "Uh-oh." Still, Luke managed to hold himself back, biting his lip as he warred with himself, torn between wanting to ask for more specific details of Thrawn's past campaigns and his own situation.

"Could you tell me what's expected of me during this, sir?" he settled with, feeling that was the more important thing to know at the moment.

"You are coming here to learn, and gain field experience. You will be expected to behave yourself, and not cause trouble with my crew. Remember, you are on my ship under my request," Thrawn reminded him, his voice firm, but not harsh. Much as Thrawn had taken a shine to Luke, he would send him right back to the Academy early if he deemed it necessary.

"However, I believe your professors and I will have different definitions of what it means to be a troublemaker."

Luke sat up a little straighter in his seat at Thrawn's firm instruction, and it was clear he was taking it seriously. Of course he was; he had dedicated himself to being a pilot the moment he set foot off of Tatooine, and Vader had helped him make that happen. He was never going to ruin his chances, especially to someone like the Grand Admiral.

He sagged slightly after a moment.

"...I promise I'm not a troublemaker," he said softly. "The professors just don't like that I ask so many questions. They seem to think it's a sign of dissent."

"Quite the contrary. On the Chimaera, asking questions will be expected, especially for one such as yourself." After all, Luke was coming to learn and study. How did one expect him do to so if he simply followed orders blindly. Luke would quickly learn that on Thrawn's ship, things worked a bit differently. The Grand Admiral wasn't cracking the whip, demanding his crew be quiet and do as they were told.

From the cockpit, one of the Death Troopers announced that the Chimaera was in sight, and they would dock within shortly.

"I have a special project that you may be interested in."

Luke couldn't help but be relieved at that. He really didn't think all commanders were like what the instructors tried to impress on him. It seemed ridiculous that people weren't allowed to speak their mind; how were people supposed to prove themselves that way?

He brightened slightly at the call that they would be docking soon, and even more so when Thrawn mentioned he had a project he might be interested. He was torn in asking what that might be, but he had a feeling he would find out shortly. Instead...

"Sir, do you mind if I ask you about a rumor I've heard?" he asked, almost sounding shy. "I... heard an actual chimera was painted on the bottom of the Chimera. Is that true?"

And could he see? Please?

Given Luke's enthusiasm for ships and flying, Thrawn figured Luke would very much like his new model of TIE. Lukes marks showed that he had talent for flying, and would no doubt take to the ship easily.

The barest hint of a smile crossed Thrawn's lips.

"Indeed there is. I've always thought it was a nice touch."

Of course, Thrawn had a holographic model of the ship, where one could easily see the design on the bottom. But surely Cadet Skywalker deserved more than to see a replication.

"If you look out the front, you may be able to see it as we approach." Thrawn said it just loudly enough for the two Troopers in front to hear him as well, and let them know that he'd given Luke permission.

Luke perked up, glancing over at the troopers a moment to make absolutely sure it was okay, before quickly releasing himself from the crash straps on his seat. He hurried over to the front, DV beeping mildly behind him, mindful not to get too close to the troopers as he leaned toward the viewport and craned his head up, his mouth falling open at the sight of the twisting limbs that seemed to surround the Star Destroyer's docking bay.

"Whoa..." Luke murmured, DV peeping in agreement.

Thrawn's lips quirked in an amused smile. The Death Troopers kept to themselves, having understood Thrawn's implied orders. It was nice to see someone who appreciated art.

He beckoned Cadet Skywalker to return to the passenger area in as they neared the docking bay. With a hiss of released gases, the shuttle docked and Thrawn unstrapped himself. Beckoning Skywalker to follow him, Thrawn exited the shuttle, dismissing the two Death Troopers while he was at it.

"Allow me to show you where you will be staying. I'm certain you wish to get settled in."

Luke almost didn't hear the Grand Admiral; his attention was drawn to around the docking bay, taking in the ships that were currently there, and hit with a vague sense of nostalgia. This was only his second time on a Star Destroyer, and he couldn't help but smile softly to himself. This wasn't the Devastator, that much was clear just by looking around. Things here were a little bit relaxed by comparison to what he remembered, being all of eleven and clinging to Lord Vader's hand.

It still made him feel more at home than he had on the ground.

"Yes sir," Luke replied after a moment, jerking himself back to the present.

A few officers gave respectful salutes to the Grand Admiral. An observant individual would notice that the officers were much less tense around Thrawn, and any salutes and greetings weren't done out of fear of being reprimanded for not showing respect.

Once he and Luke, and the droid, were within the turbolift, Thrawn turned to young Skywalker. "Tell me, what planet did you originally hail from?"

Seeing the almost casual respect brought a small smile to Luke's face. He knew it wouldn't be this way with every commander, but the sight of it made him feel a little more at ease. Truly, there needed to be more commands in the Empire like this, more places in the Empire like this. Maybe then it would be a better place.

It was easy for him to slide in a similar kind of approach, standing respectfully at attention when addressed, but losing much of the stiffness in his shoulders.

"Tatooine, sir," he answered. "I lived on a farm on the outskirts of Anchorhead."

"Tatooine. Fascinating," Thrawn made a mental note to look up any artwork from Tatooine. "That is a desert planet, is it not? Darth Vader must have seen something in you for him to give you such an opportunity."

That Luke was set to serve on Vader's personal star destroyer upon graduation, to the point where the commandant feared Vader's wrath if Luke's were permanently assigned to the Chimaera instead, said a lot about how serious Vader was about Luke's career. Not many would take such a chance on a farm boy from an otherwise inconsequential planet. If Luke was indeed related to the late Jedi, Thrawn could certainly see why.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Field Learning

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject